Make Them Hear You
by Coffeeandscribe
Summary: Sora is a struggling author by day and a cabaret bartender by night. Roxas is his assistant by day and a burlesque girl in the cabaret by night. Riku and Axel sleep by day and are the world's most famous musicians by night. They live in world where loving the same sex is wrong. But when you love someone, it can't be wrong, right? Right? Yaoi, Lemons, Adult themes. RiSo, AkuRoku
1. Chapter 1

Sora West had managed to hit his snooze button three times before his phone began blaring on the night stand next to his bed. He opened his eyes into little slits and hissed when he noticed sun was streaming in his open window; he quickly slammed his lids closed to shut out the offensive light. The brunet then blindly shoved his hand out of the covers and slammed it around the nightstand until it landed on his phone. His eyes remained closed while he pressed the device against his ear and answered the call.

"Hello?" Sora croaked into the mouth-piece and rubbed his tired eyes.

"Good morning to my handsome fiancé!" Kairi's voice chirped from the speaker. Sora quickly moved the phone a few inches away from his ear before continuing their conversation.

"Good morning, Kai." The brunet stretched and yawned before snuggling back into his covers. His navy blue comforter was too cozy for him to leave just yet.

"You lazy bum; you were supposed to be up thirty minutes ago." The auburn haired woman scolded him while chuckling. She was always a morning person and her future husband was the exact opposite. Waking up was the hardest part of Sora's day.

"I know, I know. Is that all you called for?" He sat up in bed and forced himself to open his eyes. Once they adjusted Sora was able to make out the furniture in his room. His bed was the largest piece, obviously, and took up a majority of the small master bedroom in his apartment. His dresser, which had been lime green at one time (but was now a much more "mature" black), was the second largest object. It was currently crammed into the corner with a television and assorted dirty pieces of laundry scattered on top of it. The rest of Sora's room was occupied by a small computer desk, a shelf that held all of his old base-ball trophies from high-school, and the night stand that once held his phone, but now only had a small lamp resting on it. His brown walls hadn't changed since the last time he had woken up and neither had the miserable excuse for carpet that was stained and matted in his usual walking trails around the maze of smashed together furniture.

"I just wanted to wish you luck. Today's the day you get the big assignment, right?" Kairi questioned. Sora's eyes went wide when he remembered that it was Thursday and that was the day his boss had promised to let him know about a big new writing project that had Sora's name written all over it. He had also forgotten that Thursday was the day he and his boss were holding interviews for his assistant position.

"It totally slipped my mind! Shit!" Sora threw himself out of bed while holding the phone to his face with his chin against his shoulder. Kairi giggled on the other end of the call and then quickly hushed herself. Sora could hear her cover up her phone before muttering to someone else in the room. He listened closely while slipping on some fresh boxers.

_"Sorry, I'm on the phone with my fiancé… No, no, it's fine... He knows… Yeah, we have an open relationship… the bathroom is right down the hall… I work at eight, if you could be gone by then… Thanks!"_

Sora's heart sank while he listened to Kairi talk to whatever man she had slept with the night before. He didn't let it show in his voice, though, when she returned to his call.

"Sorry about that, honey. I need to get going so I hope you do great today! Don't forget that I love you." The auburn haired woman waited for Sora to say "I love you, too" before ending the call.

The brunet rubbed his eyes in frustration and continued about his morning. Normally he had a lot more time to get ready than just an hour but he had hit snooze three times and talked to Kairi for at least five minutes more. He needed to hustle if he was going to get out of the house in time for him and Roxas to make it to the office.

_Roxas!_

Sora remembered that it was his responsibility to wake up his best friend and quickly darted from his tiny bedroom into the even tinier bedroom across the apartment. He dashed through the kitchen and the living room before colliding with Roxas' door and bursting through. The blond groaned and rolled over in bed but otherwise remained undisturbed by Sora's dramatic entrance.

"Rox, you gotta get up! Your interview is today!" Sora hurled a fresh pair of boxers in his best friend's direction before leaving the room. He ran into the kitchen and dumped some coffee that had brewed twenty minutes before (thank goodness for automatic timers) into a mug. He screwed the lid on while shuffling back to his room as speedily as he could without spilling.

The brunet whipped open his dresser to reveal rows of organized dress shirts and pants. It seemed that the only amount of organization in his entire apartment was contained to those two drawers; he took out the outfit on top and nearly threw his coffee on the night-stand so he could change. He pulled up his grey dress slacks and hurriedly shoved a belt through all of the loops after he tucked in his lilac dress shirt. He finished off his ensemble with a plain and simple black tie with an Eldredge knot before grabbing his coffee and sprinting to the bathroom. It was here that Sora inspected his outfit and deemed it decent enough for what his day had in store. He quickly gave up on running a comb through his unmanageable hair and brushed his teeth, cringing at the taste of mint with his black coffee.

"Hey, I need to put my face on, so hurry up!" Roxas called to him from outside the door. Sora sighed internally before opening the barrier between them. He rolled his eyes at the sight of his best friend.

Roxas had completely disregarded the boxers Sora had thrown at him and had put on a pair of his favorite lace panties instead. They were slightly covered by his black tights, though.

"I thought I told you that you had a better shot of getting the job if you went as Roxas." Sora frowned again when the blond ignored him and scooted in-between him and the sink to reach the shower. Roxas turned the water on and splashed his face a bit before wiping it clean with a towel.

"I don't feel like Roxas today. I feel like Roxie and that's that." Roxie smiled cheerfully at her best friend and tousled his spikes.

"Rox…" Sora's warning tone was completely lost on the blonde, though, because she was happily humming to herself while sitting on the closed toilet. She placed a small mirror in front of her and began putting on bright red lipstick.

"Don't be such a worry-wart, Sora. Everything will be fine!" Roxie beamed and went back to applying her make-up. The brunet shook his head and decided the best course of action was to let her do what she pleased because there was no stopping her once she set her mind to something.

"Just be ready in twenty minutes, okay? We can't be late." The blonde saluted in response before the brunet left the room. Sora reminded himself that sharing his bathroom was only a temporary situation. He was just helping Roxie get back on her feet, after all. Sure, it had already been six months, and sure, Sora had said only a few weeks, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that Roxas was safe from Blaze and was getting his life back on track.

**_Her_**_ life on track, stupid._ Sora scolded himself for his blatant ignorance._ She's Roxie today and you better not forget it at the interview!_

Sora had never lived with anyone before Roxas, though, and it was proving to be more difficult than he had imagined. He didn't like sharing the television or the bathroom and the kitchen was too small for both of them to be in at the same time. He could hear Roxas snore all night long and when he wasn't snoring he was singing loud enough to upset the neighbors. The blond left his towels on the bathroom floor all the time. He never closed the bread bag after taking out a slice. He did a thousand other things that pissed Sora off, too, but the brunet cared about Roxas far too much to bring any of it up. He knew that leaving Blaze was the hardest thing Rox had ever done; it would take longer than six months to get his life back together.

That's why Sora was determined to get Roxas the job as his assistant. It wouldn't be easy, of course, because he knew that his boss wanted him to have a male assistant and Roxas was determined to be a girl for the day. Having a best friend that cross-dressed had never bothered Sora much as long as the blond didn't get caught. Sora had talked them out of a few scrapes before because Roxas hadn't been careful enough.

_"The world isn't ready for people like you and me, Roxie. You need to try harder." Sora held an ice-pack to his friend's eye while nursing his own wounds. Her make-up was smeared and her wig was matted. The blonde wiped tears from her eye before smiling sadly at Sora._

_"It's not fair, though. It's just who I am. I can't be confined to just Roxas or just Roxie. I'm both him and her. I'm not hurting anyone! And you're not hurting anyone either, just because you like men. I like men too, and it's okay when I'm Roxie but not when I'm Roxas? But I'm both of them, so it doesn't make any sense." Roxie cried out in desperation as she shifted how she was sitting on the closed toilet lid. Her leg was being iced in the shower from where the men at the bar had managed to kick her before Sora came to her rescue._

_"Of course we're not hurting anyone. Maybe someday it will be different and we won't have to hide who we are. But for now we need to be more careful and make sure no one ever finds out." Sora sighed and wrung out the cold wash-cloth before adding more ice. He hated to see Roxie cry the way she was._

Roxie came out of the bath-room completely ready to go in only fifteen minutes. She smirked, proud of herself, as she strutted into the living room for Sora to take a look at her outfit. Her stiletto heels were slipped on over the black tights from before, only now the tights were covered by a black pencil skirt as well. Her classic white blouse was only half showing; the rest was hidden by a colorful red blazer. Her blond hair was styled artfully down one shoulder in large curls (it was one of her favorite wigs) and her make-up was impeccable. Winged eyeliner, eyelashes full of volume, bright red lips that matched her blazer, and flawless looking foundation completed her look perfectly.

"Okay, _fine_. So _maybe_ Roxie will get the job." Sora rolled his eyes as Rox squealed with delight.

"Awesome! Let's go, Sor-_rah_!" Roxie purposely added the affliction to the brunet's name before grabbing his keys off of the rack and running out the front door. Sora chuckled to himself and checked his pockets for the essentials. Phone, wallet, and favorite pen were all in attendance, and his keys were currently being carried down the stairs by an exuberant blonde.

"Wait up, Roxie!" Sora called to her before closing the door to his apartment and rushing down the stairs. They made it to the car at the same time.

"I wanna drive!" Roxie begged before Sora scoffed and snatched the keys from her manicured fingers.

"In your dreams, girlie. I worked hard to afford this bad-boy, and that means I'm going to drive it." Sora stroked the hood of his 1998 Honda Accord lovingly before sliding into the driver's seat.

"This thing is a piece of shit and you know it." Roxie rolled her eyes as she got into the car sideways so no one could see up her skirt. The apartment parking-garage was surprisingly busy for it being so early on a Thursday morning.

"Hey! Don't you dare talk about the Rusty Stallion that way! After all he does for you…" Sora shook his head in mock disgust and pulled out of the parking spot. By the time they got on the freeway the duo was engaged in a heated conversation about how Roxie should conduct herself at her interview for the day.

"I don't get why I have to pretend to be someone I'm not." She crossed her arms and kicked her heels up onto the dash. Sora cringed.

"Stop that. If we get in an accident you're going to snap your legs in half." He frantically swatted at her tights with one hand while keeping the other on the steering wheel.

"That's not the point, Sor-_rah_. Just tell me why I can't be the usual Roxie!" She demanded an answer from the brunet.

"Because the regular Roxie is provocative and you know it!" Sora laughed and continued to shove Rox's legs off the dash.

"So?!" The blonde cackled before shrugging her shoulders. "Fine, I'll be a good little assistant. I'll grab you your coffee and run and get you lunches and stuff. I'll even let you slap my ass when I walk by, and I'll be extra sure to stay and lend a hand if you ever need to work late-night over-time." She winked at Sora and puckered her lips. The brunet moved his flailing hand from her tights to her face, giving her a playful smack.

"Get out of here, you harlot." Sora couldn't help but smile as he pulled in to his usual parking spot, though. The pair got out of the car and after Roxie adjusted her skirt they entered the building.

"Morning, Sora!" The secretary, Selphie, greeted the brunet kindly. She then beamed at Roxie after noticing that she was accompanying Sora. "Hello to you, too!"

"Good-morning." Roxie purred to the other woman in a sweet and sultry voice. Selphie looked shocked for a moment before quickly pretending she had a phone call. Sora smacked Roxie for the second time that morning once the bubbly secretary had turned around.

_"You moron!"_ He hissed. _"You promised me you'd be sweet and innocent!"_

"Oh… did you mean now?" Roxie blinked in confusion before Sora rolled his eyes.

"You are so full of shit. Let's just get upstairs." The brunet took long strides to the clear glass elevator.

His office building was in the heart of the wealthy section of the city and it clearly showed. Sleek and modern furniture and architecture littered the entrance and the glass elevator glided down to their floor effortlessly, as if it was floating on air. Roxie whistled as it opened and sent them a gracious _"ping"_ to note its arrival.

"This place is swank." They entered the elevator alone and Sora pressed the button for the seventh floor, which was where his office was. He took pride in the fact that he had his own office and no longer had to work on the eighteenth floor with all the other interns. No, he was a hot-shot author now, and he was going to soak up all of its glories.

Just as soon as he wrote anything worth-while, that was.

The elevator let out another gentle "_ping_" and opened on the third floor for a woman with indescribable style and sophistication. Her high-waist grey slacks billowed about her legs and her black dress shoes clacked against the stunning tile of the elevator. Her lilac blouse was tucked in to her pants much like Sora's was. He internally threw himself off the top of the building upon seeing his boss.

"Morning, Tifa…" He muttered.

"Sora, what have I told you about copying my outfits?" She raised an eyebrow playfully at the brunet.

"In my defense, I actually owned this one before you did." Sora replied. Roxie did her best to look as small as possible, recognizing Sora's boss from her name and all the descriptions the brunet had given her. The blonde now realized why Sora wanted her to behave herself. This woman did not look like she messed around. Not a hair was out of place and there wasn't a trace of stress on her person.

"I highly doubt that." She chuckled and handed Sora a binder filled with pictures of applicants and resumes. "I want you to look through this by yesterday. Can you manage that?"

"Yesterday? Seems a little tight, but I might be able to get it done." Sora cracked a smirk in his boss' direction. She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head. Her black hair artfully draped down her back in one long swooshing motion. Roxie nearly swooned with jealousy.

"Very funny, Mr. West."

"No, I mean it! I've already met one of the applicants!" Sora beamed happily. Tifa's eyebrow raised even further.

"Oh?" She mused.

"Yeah, actually, she's right behind you…" Sora mumbled before turning to face Roxie. The blonde had been able to hide in the back of the elevator as it made its ascent up to the seventh floor; not that the ride was over it was a bit harder for her to blend in.

"Hello, Ma'am. My name is Roxas Hart." Roxie extended her hand and gave Tifa a firm, yet submissive, handshake. Just like Sora had told her to do.

"Roxas?" Tifa questioned why the seemingly stunning woman in front of her had a man's name.

"Please, call me Roxie." Rox uttered flawlessly with-out missing a beat. She then gave Tifa one of her signature smiles. She mustered up all the sweetness and innocence she could put into a single facial expression and forced it out. She could see her reflection in Tifa's eyes and nearly melted herself from how perfectly adorable she looked smiling like that. Roxie gave herself an internal victory dance; that degree in theatre had paid off.

"Roxie… Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Tifa Lockhart, the chief editor for CityRise Publishing." Tifa grinned in return and it was only then that Roxie could see a bit of old age in the corners of her eyes on her other-wise flawless face. Sora had told her once that Tifa was forty and no one would have believed it from how she looked.

"Oh, I know all about you. It's always been my dream to work in such a successful publishing house." Roxie spewed out bull-shit.

"Well, if it's success you're after, you came to the right place." Tifa smirked and gracefully exited the elevator. Sora was right on her heels and quickly threw away the picture of Roxas as a male that was in his binder. Roxie strutted through the open glass doors and took a deep breath. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

After hours of interviewing applicants and asking the same questions over and over, Sora was about ready to throw himself out of one of the windows. Tifa sat with her ankles crossed and her pen resting artfully above her ear. Sora wondered how she always seemed composed no matter what the situation.

"We've looked at over twenty applicants and not a single one stands out to me." She muttered before taking the pen from behind her ear and crossing off the name of the last interviewee that had left the room. Sora stretched before he attempted to work some sort of magic.

"What about the woman in the elevator?" He asked innocently. Tifa scoffed.

"The blonde one? She seemed very… peculiar. There was something about her that I just couldn't put my finger on, almost as if she had a big secret that she didn't want anyone to know." Tifa put the end of her pen in between her lips and chewed on it for a moment in thought.

"A secret? What would she be hiding?" Sora chuckled and pretended like he wasn't terrified that Tifa could see through Roxie's skirt.

"I'm not sure… Maybe I am being a _bit_ paranoid." Tifa shrugged before placing the pen behind her ear again. "Go fetch her, will you? I'll conduct her interview alone."

Sora's heart leapt into his mouth before he walked as calmly as he could out of Tifa's office and into the small waiting room outside. He found Roxie sitting just as Tifa had been, minus the pen. The brunet could feel his pulse go back to normal when he inspected how his best friend had adapted a personality to match what Tifa would expect of a submissive, compliant, and enthusiastic assistant. Roxie could play the part and would get the job if she managed to keep her sex a secret from Sora's boss.

"It's all you, Rox. Play it cool, okay?" Sora begged her before extending his hand for the blonde to grab. She laced her fingers around his hand and used it to help herself up. She then flipped her hair over her shoulder, adjusted her blazer, and smoothed out her skirt. The finishing touch was a devilish smile in Sora's direction.

"Sor-_rah_, when have I _ever_ let you down before?" She winked and strutted to the door. Sora groaned as she entered and sealed both their fates.

* * *

Riku Docken woke up at the ideal time of three in the afternoon. He rolled over in bed and stretched his arms against the silk sheets. When he made contact with another body he instantly recoiled in a panic, wondering who the hell could be in his bed. When a wet tongue made its way to his face, though, and began to attack him with affection, he laughed.

"Yuck!" He grabbed the husky by the scruff and playfully put their heads together, stopping her intense licking. "You're an absolute terror, Kida. Do you know that? Huh? Do yah, girl?" Riku happily rolled around with the dog in bed. Kida barked and attempted to lick her master once more. The silveret climbed out of bed before she could get the chance, though.

"_Riku!"_ A very familiar and annoying voice called to him from beyond the hotel room door. Riku groaned and looked through the peep-hole to see Axel beaming at him on the other side.

"What do you want?" Riku called out while putting on some pants. Kida, upon hearing Axel's voice, was now scratching at the door despite all of the silveret's scolding.

"Xemnas wants us downstairs in the board room in ten minutes, so I figured I'd wake your lazy ass up." Axel knocked on the door, signaling that he wanted to be let in. Kida barked in response and Riku opened the damn thing just to stop both of their noise.

"What does Xemnas want us for? We finished the tour; I thought this was supposed to be our week off!" Riku growled angrily. He had just been traveling across the country for seven months with performances almost every night and was sick and tired of being ushered from this place to that without any say. Sure, the tour had offered his band a once in a lifetime experience to get their name out there, and _sure_, they were now the most successful and popular band in the industry, but couldn't he get one damn _day_ to himself for a break?

"I have no idea but he seemed pretty serious. If I were you I'd get ready fast. Or, if you feel so inclined, just go down like that." Axel made reference to the fact that Riku was now only wearing black sweatpants that had been crammed into the bottom of one of his various suitcases. The silveret flipped off his best friend before throwing a shirt over his head and giving Kida a treat. He then closed the hotel door and entered the main living area of the master suite him and Axel were sharing.

"Fine. I'll go. But I want some damn coffee first." Riku rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his silver locks. It was going to be a long Thursday.

* * *

Rox got the job and managed to impress Tifa so much that the blond started that day. The brunet and his friend were back in the Rusty Stallion, headed toward one of the most expensive hotels in the city on some important business assignment that neither of them could figure out. Tifa had been very secretive about what the assignment exactly entailed.

"And you said I couldn't do it as Roxie." Rox scoffed while she adjusted her wig. She re-applied her lip-stick while Sora rolled his eyes.

"No, I _didn't_. What I _said_ was that Tifa wanted a male assistant. But then you managed to pull an entire new personality out of your ass and scored yourself the job. But, joke's on you, because now you have to act like someone you're not Monday through Friday, eight in the morning until five at night." The brunet reminded his friend and smirked.

"But that's the fun of it, don't you see?! At the Cabaret I'm exactly who I want to be and there's no challenge in that. Sure, I get to sing and dance and I love both those things. But, with this job, I get to use my acting skills! How sweet is that?" Roxie asked, completely thrilled.

Sora was amazed by how easily his friend could find the bright side in every situation. Sora, on the other-hand, was a realist. All he could see was the trouble they could get in if anyone found out that Roxas was a man. All he could think of was how their second jobs might interfere with their quality of work at the publishing house. He was terrified of getting caught. There was so much risk that came with being part of the Cabaret, but it was a life that Sora couldn't seem to give up.

"It'll be alright, Sor-_rah_. Just have a little faith for once in your life." Roxie clasped his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile, practicing her astonishing ability to seemingly always know what was on the brunet's mind. "Everything is going to be fine. We'll make it work."

"But how in the hell are we going to manage working until four in the morning every Thursday night and still be ready to go at seven every Friday morning? I know we both need the money, and I love the Cabaret as much as you do, but I just don't know how well this is going to work out…" Sora replied.

"If there's a will there's a way! Maybe we'll just have to start doing some hard drugs. That way we'll never have to sleep or eat." Roxie joked. Sora frowned and reached his arm over to shove his friend playfully, keeping the other on the wheel.

"You're an idiot." The brunet and blonde laughed as they pulled in to the hotel's valet parking.

* * *

"You've _got_ to be _shitting_ me." Riku was livid. Not only had he been called down from his relaxing (and hard-earned, mind you) vacation, he was now being told the worst news of his life.

"It's just a biography. We're not even doing a film like the label wanted us to. I told them you'd destroy all the tapes before they could piece it together." Xemnas explained to the Silveret.

Xemnas was the band's manager and had never steered them wrong before. Riku, however, could not believe that he was actually suggesting that the silveret allow some piss-nosed higher-than-thee author write a biography on his life and the whole band's lives too. Who did he think he was, inviting a random stranger into all of Riku's personal affairs? Not that Riku had many personal affairs; anyway, seeing as being in such a popular band took up almost all of his time. But if he did have any, then _damn it_, he wasn't letting some stupid writer dissect them all for the public to see!

"This is the best way to get _The World that Never Was_' name out there." Tifa, who had been helping Xemnas describe the idea of the project, stated. Riku snorted and crossed his arms.

"You said we'd get a break!" Demyx, the bassist, whined. Their manager rubbed his temples in frustration.

"You're still going to get one, actually. A longer one, at that. This book will take six months to write and in that time I don't have any concerts, shows, or tours planned. I want you guys to chill out, help this guy write, and write your own stuff, too. I need some new music to put out when this book hits the shelves. With a biography to read and a new album to listen to the public will go absolutely nuts about you guys."

"The public already is nuts about us!" Axel exclaimed. Of all the members he was the most obsessed with fame. He was always camera ready and loved to be interviewed and have his picture taken. This book would probably be a dream come true for him. Someone asking him every detail of his life and snapping photos of him every four seconds? Right up Axel's alley. Riku's? Not so much.

The silveret liked to sing and play music. So did Axel, keep in mind, as they both were the front-men of the band. But Riku had a special connection with the music they performed. He wanted each and every song to mean something to him, not just be catchy and sell in stores. He didn't mind the paparazzi, but they weren't his closest friends like Axel.

"But you guys will be old news fast unless you keep it up. You can't just fade out. You need to stay relevant." Tifa countered Axel. The red head rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, mirroring Riku.

"Fine. We'll do the book." Marluxia, the keyboardist, began to get up from his seat at the large granite table they were all sitting around. Their plush leather chairs were the best money could buy, and the hotel had not held back their pocket-book when meeting the "needs" of the band.

"We will not!" Riku retorted before getting up to leave as well. Just as Xemnas was about to lay down the law with the silveret there was a sharp knock on the door. A key turned in the lock (as it had been kept that way so fans couldn't sneak inside) and a hotel attendant voiced his presence. Xemnas barked at him to let the guests inside.

A very ashen looking brunet and a stunning blonde entered the room. Well, the blonde entered, anyway. The brunet was more forcibly _pushed_ by his companion until they were standing at the edge of the table.

"Hello, everyone! My name is Roxie Hart!" Rox cheerfully beamed at the table of men and Tifa.

"Good-Afternoon, my name is—" The brunet started to introduce himself in a shaky voice before the silveret cut him off.

"_Sora West?"_ Riku couldn't believe his eyes. After all these years of searching, his high school boyfriend was standing right in front of him… and he was the piss-nosed higher-than-thee author that Riku was going to come to hate.


	2. Chapter 2

_The sun streamed through the glass of Sora's windshield while the wind whipped his brown spikes this way and that. The car swerved around the edges of the glistening lake at the slightest movement of the brunet's fingers on the wheel. Roxas let out a holler and unbuckled his seatbelt, standing up in Sora's parent's convertible so that the wind attacked him aggressively and he could shout to the sky. Sora's face split into an undeniable grin at his new best friend's call for adventure. _

_The pair was on their very first road trip heading to Rox's cabin for the weekend. It was the summer before their sophmore year of college and they had every intention of partying as hard as they could before school started the next week. They were planning on meeting their friends, Leon and Cloud, at the cabin, and Blaze was coming the next day with Kairi in tow because they couldn't get the whole weekend off of work. The blond and the brunet didn't mind, though, because it gave them an excuse to spend time together, which had become their new favorite thing._

_They had been friends since their freshman year of college when Sora accidentally walked in on Roxas in the shower room and the two collided into a slippery and embarrassed heap on the floor. Lately, though, they had found that they were growing fonder of each other's company. That's what college was for, after all. Many think the four years is for an education and the gain of skills you can later use to nab yourself a career and a future, but Roxas thought of college as a far more social experience._

_The sun continued to stream as the radio changed songs. Sora didn't recognize the tune by the first few chords. _I don't think I've heard this before_, he thought to himself, as the guitar part picked up after the first synthesized notes. He cringed, though, when he heard the words._

_**Sunday morning at the door, you were coming back for more, we were kicking it all around. I was looking in your eyes, you thought it was justified. You said, mo-m- mo-mo-mo-more!**_

"_Oh man, I love this song! Turn it up!" Roxas whooped and returned to his seat just to fiddle with the volume. He then bolted upright and back into the air, clutching to the frame of the windshield as he joyfully beamed into the strong wind._

_**Don't stop, don't change, stay beautiful. One life, today, you're irresistible. Get up, get out, stay wonderful. All this time is waiting for you, don't stop, don't change, stay beautiful.**_

_Sora would have closed his eyes if he could, but he was driving and needed to pay attention. He hated hearing the familiar voice that used to sing to him over the phone, and through the window, and while in the car driving around just as he was doing now…_

_**One more, day like this. One more, poison kiss. One more, hand to fist. I will run to you. Always, first in line. Always, on my mind. Always, doing fine. It will come to you.**_

_The brunet slammed his palm onto the power button of the stereo and practically broke it with how much force he used. Roxas swung himself back down into his seat and gave his friend a puzzled look. _

"_Dude, what the hell? I love that song!" Roxas complained while reaching for the power button._

"_Don't!" Sora snapped when he noticed his friend's hand. Roxas instantly recoiled and Sora sighed heavily. "Please… just don't turn it back on."_

"_You don't like _The World That Never Was?_" Roxas asked earnestly. Sora could have cried the idea was so humorous to him._

"_Not very much, no. Let's just talk, okay?" He asked, trying to get this friend's mind off of the song and on to anything else._

"_Okay. Well why don't you like them? They're my favorite band! They're so fresh and new." Roxas snuggled into his seat and kicked his feet up on the dashboard. He was right, after all. Riku's band had just signed their record deal a year before. They had been pumping out new music like crazy, though, and teenagers and young adults were scooping up those songs like they were candy. They practically were like candy to the ears, anyway. The tunes were always catchy and entertaining; Riku was a fabulous musician and Axel wasn't too far behind._

"_Roxas… we're friends, right?" The brunet asked, hesitant._

"_Of course, Sor-_rah_." Roxas scoffed, as if the question had nearly offended him. Sora took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose. He tightened his grip on the wheel and tried to convince himself h wasn't crazy._

"_I need to tell you a story…"_

* * *

Riku stormed into his hotel room and locked the door behind himself, effectively keeping Axel trapped behind the wooden slab. The red-head knocked valiantly, but his efforts were in vain. Riku wasn't letting him in no matter how hard he tried.

"Riku, we need to talk about this!" Axel gave up trying to pound his fists against the frame and instead rested his forehead on the slab. He knew it was useless to try and get Riku to talk. His best friend had never been one for deep conversation, especially when he wasn't in the mood for chatting. But Axel knew that what had happened in the conference room was something that couldn't be avoided.

"No, we _don't_! Go the hell away!" Riku screamed from beyond the door before furiously walking away. Kida, confused as to why her normally lovable master was in such a fit of rage, pranced after the silveret as he stomped his way to the bathroom. He locked her outside the door too, though; when he slammed it closed and padded his way across the bathroom tile.

Riku looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was slightly tangled because he hadn't brushed it after waking up. His face was screwed up into a thin grimace that set his normally attractive features into the realm of anger. There was a blaze of fire behind his aqua eyes. He glared at his reflection and whirled away from the glass. Ripping off his clothing, he practically dove into the shower and turned the water on.

The cold water startled his skin into goose bumps at first. He let it fall on his face and trail down the rest of his body until it turned warmer. He stepped out of the spray and sunk to his knees on the cold tile of the hotel bath.

_How could this happen to me?_ He thought angrily.

* * *

"**The**_ Riku Docken? Like, the famous bad-boy lead singer for _The World That Never Was?" _Roxas stared at his friend, dumb-founded. Sora nodded._

"_You don't believe me, do you?" The brunet asked. The blond was speechless for a moment._

"_I want to believe you, because you've never lied to me before… but it's just insane, dude." Roxas shook his head._

"_Look in my wallet." Sora sighed and handed the black leather over to the passenger side of the car. Roxas took it hesitantly and opened it up. Sora wallet was always filled to the brim, but he figured it was just full with stupid fliers from around school or with wads of cash from holidays. When he truly took a look inside, though, he found something far different. The large amount of paper in Sora's wallet consisted of a dozen or so letters. All of them were in the same hand-writing and signed by the same person._

"_Holy shit… These are all of the band's most popular songs. And they're signed! Signed by Riku himself!" Roxas exclaimed while inspecting each little folded up sheet as closely as he could._

"_I know. I wasn't lying. He and I… we used to date." Sora bit his lip and waited for the rejection from his friend. Being gay wasn't allowed. It wasn't right. It was dirty and sick and wrong._

"_He loved you, didn't he? These songs are all about you. The song we just listened to, there's a letter right here for it. Is that why you turned it off?" Roxas asked, avoiding the fact that Sora had just came out to him. The brunet tried not to over-think the lack of reaction from his friend._

"_We didn't exactly break up on the best of terms." Sora blinked back tears while thinking about that fateful night that had crushed every single one of his high-school dreams._

"_You loved him too, didn't you? I can hear it in your voice. Oh, Sora, I'm so sorry." Roxas comforted the brunet as tears spilled down his cheeks. Sora kept his eyes focused on the road and the sunset and forced the memory of that night out of his head._

"_Yeah… I loved him."_

* * *

"I told you once and I will tell you again, I am _not_ taking you off this project, Sora." Tifa sounded exasperated as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and rolled up the window to her car. The brunet watched, horrified, as she put the car into gear and drove away from the hotel. Roxie clasped Sora's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.

"Come on, Sor-_rah_. It won't be that bad. You'll have me there the whole time!" Roxie exclaimed, trying to comfort her best friend. The author shook his head as they started walking back to the Rusty Stallion.

"'It won't be _that bad'; _Riku Docken ruined my life!" Sora closed his eyes and placed his hand over his lids, frantically trying to rub away the start of his headache. The pair climbed into the car and shut the doors, sealing themselves into silence from the bustle of the city outside.

"So you had a bad break-up? Oh well! You're getting married, Sora. You can't let what happened between you and a high-school boyfriend ruin your entire career. This could be your big break!" Roxie tried to explain as calmly as she could, but calm wasn't exactly the blonde's strong suit.

"Well, it won't be anything if Riku doesn't consent, and from the way he screamed '_Take your damn biography and shove it',_ and then stormed out of the room, I highly doubt he's going to consent." Sora recalled the silveret's explosive response to Sora being the author he was going to have to work with for the next six months.

"Maybe you should try talking to him…" Roxie mused.

"Excuse me?" Sora scoffed. There was no way in hell he was going to talk to the man who broke his heart and ruined his ability to trust people.

"Look, if you're going to do this book you have to be on good terms with him. Didn't you tell me that he sent you letters filled to the brim with song lyrics all about you?" Roxie crossed her arms.

"Well, yeah. But that didn't make it any better!" Sora cried out.

"And didn't those songs go on to become some of the band's most famous hits?" Rox asked, trying to pull the right answer out of the brunet.

"Of course they did. But that doesn't mean anything, Rox. Why are you bringing this up?" Sora became irritated with his over-intrusive friend.

"Because Riku owes most of his success to his break-up with you! If he hadn't have gone through that he'd have nothing to write about, wouldn't have all those hit songs, and he wouldn't be the front-man of the most popular band in the entire world right now!" Roxie seemed proud of herself for coming to the conclusion, but it didn't sit right with Sora.

"So, essentially, you're trying to tell me that he owes me this book? Because I made him famous?" He raised an eyebrow and quickly switched lanes to get into the parking lot of their apartment building.

"Yes! Now you get it!" Roxie beamed. "Talk to him. He ruined your life, Sor-_rah_. You _deserve _this book."

* * *

"_I'm a girl." Roxas blurted out._

"_Um, what? No you're not. I've seen you naked. Remember how we met?" Sora wiped tears from his cheeks and smiled in fondness at his best friend. The blond shook his head, though._

"_I mean it… I like to dress up like a girl. I don't know why, but I always have. I go out to clubs sometimes by myself, and I don't let anyone know I'm going… and I just dance. I dance and I have a good time and no one knows I'm not actually Roxie." The blond explained, sheepishly hiding his face from view._

"_Oh…" Sora tried to process the information he had just received._

"_And I like men, too. Even if I feel like a girl sometimes liking men makes me gay. I know that it's supposed to be wrong. I know that most everyone thinks it is. But… I think that love had no boundaries, Sora. If you loved Riku then you _loved_ him. And I'm sorry that whatever happened between you two happened. I want you to tell me about it someday, though. I know how lonely it is, never being able to tell a soul who you really are because you're afraid they'll hate you for something you can't help. But you and me… we're two in the same now. We're inseparable. We're unique."_

* * *

Riku stayed in the shower for an hour. He didn't wash himself or shampoo his hair while he was inside, though. He stayed completely still, leaning against the wall and hanging his head between his knees.

Of all the people in the world it could have been, it was Sora West. It was the brown-haired, blue-eyed, pouty-lipped Sora who had been haunting him for the past decade. He knew that Sora had wanted to be a author, but he never thought the brunet would actually do it. Sora's parents had wanted him to become an engineer, hadn't they? Riku tried to remember, but it was all so long ago. Ten long years…

He had written thousands of songs about Sora in that amount of time. Some of them were good, some of them were bad. He had sent a hundred of the good ones to the brunet himself before he changed his address and fell off the face of the Earth. Riku had the resources to find him, sure. Yet, he couldn't help but think that Sora didn't want Riku to find him. The silveret promised himself he'd start storing the letters instead and never again try to send them to his ex-boyfriend. It was difficult, but he had managed it.

But now Sora had been standing in front of him, flesh and blood, and Riku couldn't believe it. He had no intentions of ever seeing Sora again in his life after making that promise. It used to be all he dreamed about, years ago, but he had given up on that hope when he turned twenty-one. Three years of Sora never replying to the letters wore him down and turned him bitter. He started to hate the boy with brown hair, blue eyes, and pouty lips. So now, to see him standing there so vividly alive and well with a blush on his cheeks and such a timid entrance, shook the silveret to his core.

He remembered the brunet as being the most beautiful and genuine person in the world. He had been bright and practically radiated warmth like the sun. Sora's smile could bring someone back from the dead, and it had worked on Riku a thousand times. He was desperate to know everything about Sora, actually. He wanted to know the brunet's favorite food. He wanted to know if he still loved hot showers or if his ankles still cracked every time he went up the stairs. Ten long years had made the once love of his life a complete stranger. Riku was parched for knowledge and had no way of quenching his thirst. The brunet was supposed to be finding out _his _life story, after all.

He was disgusted with the idea of someone prying and poking at his personal life, but for it to be the lover he had lost so long ago? He couldn't manage it. There was no way in hell that he could be in a room with Sora for more than five minutes without screaming or crying. Too much had been left unsettled between them and the brunet had made no effort to fix it while Riku tried desperately. Hadn't Sora felt the same way about him? They were each other's first everything. First date. First kiss. First love. First time. That had meant something to Riku. It had to have meant something to Sora.

_Of course it did, idiot. That's why he hates your guts. You abandoned him._ Riku thought to himself with a toxic mix of guilt and bitterness. It wasn't his fault, though. The band needed him one hundred percent and they couldn't have a gay front-man. There would have been no chance in hell of their record deal going though if Xemnas had known Riku's dirty little secret. Loving another man was practically illegal. The silveret could have kissed his fame goodbye if the world found out.

Knowing he "had to do it" didn't make it any easier, though.

* * *

"_So was he any good?" Roxas asked while sucking on his sea-salt ice cream. The brunet had allowed him to purchase it at the gas station only after covering the passenger seat with napkins in-case the blond spilled._

"_What do you mean?" Sora responded, confused. _

"_Like, in the sack." Roxas replied casually while his best friend sputtered and choked._

"_Roxas! That's crude!" Sora's face blushed bright red and the blond laughed giddily._

"_That means yes! Tell me all about it!" Roxas turned in his seat so he could watch his friend's facial expressions better. Sora didn't normally open up to people about these sorts of things. Well, he had actually _never_ opened up about this kind of thing. Roxas was the first person he had ever told that he was gay._

"…_Okay. But you have to promise to never tell a soul!" Sora demanded._

"_Sor-rah, I just told you that I'm a tranny with no doubts at all about whether or not you'd share my secret, and you're worried that I'm going to tell everyone you've had sex? You're so silly sometimes." Roxas rolled his eyes._

"_Okay-okay. I get it. You're not going to tell." The brunet laughed and bit his lip, wondering where to begin. "Should I start with the kinky shit?" Sora asked. Roxas squealed with delight._

* * *

Riku had left the bathroom and was now snuggled up in bed with Kida. He had no plans on moving from this spot for any given amount of time in the foreseeable future.

"You know, girl, sometimes I miss sharing a bed with more than a dog." Riku muttered under his breath. His sudden and unexpected run-in with Sora had pushed his loneliness to the surface of his pool of emotions. It was swirling around on the top, demanding to be paid attention to, and no matter how hard the silveret tried to ignore that gnawing feeling in his chest, he just couldn't. He was lonely. He hadn't been in a relationship since his senior year of high school. He hadn't slept in the same bed with another person since Xemnas had screwed up their hotel arrangements and scored Riku and Axel a room together. He hadn't had sex in ten years. Sora was his first and his only. It made a little more sense as to why Riku was so obsessed with the brunet. He didn't have anyone else to think about.

Riku had gotten Kida as a gift from his mother five years before. He had thanked her and tried to get rid of the little husky puppy that very afternoon because dogs were a nuisance and he had no time to be bothered with things like regular walks and feeding schedules. Kida proved to be a blessing, though, when the tiny bit of routine began to run Riku's days. He'd make Xemnas schedule events around the dog's life. He began to ruthlessly fight to bring Kida with him everywhere and never left her at home for more than a few days. He refused to sleep without her, too, because otherwise the beds in all the hotels were just too damn strange and too damn big.

Nights were the hardest when he wasn't busy with concerts or tour buses or after-parties. Night was when the cold crept underneath his covers and attacked his bare skin because there was no warm body next to him to keep it at bay. There was no soft skin to caress, no blankets being stolen, no soft breathing of another person. Riku was alone. Utterly, and completely, alone.

He missed companionship and he missed sex. Seeing Sora had brought these faults in his life right in front of his eyes so that he could do nothing but stare at them. He remembered what it felt like to hold the brunet. He remembered what it felt like to have soft lips upon his own. He remembered how it felt to have indescribable warmth encase him and have Sora so close they were nearly one being…

Had it really been ten years since he had gotten laid? _How pathetic… most famous man on Earth and you can't even get it in._ Riku was bitter, but he knew the true reason. He couldn't sleep with anyone because they could leak to the press that he was gay. He sacrificed a love life for the life of fame and fortune. Mostly, he didn't regret it. But sometimes he wondered if it was worth it all. He wondered if the riches, the parties, the reputation… he questioned if it was worth going to bed every night alone.

The silveret was a man of reason. He was normally so controlled and it took quite a bit in order to get him to feel something more than indifference. Music was one of the only things that spoke to him on an emotional level, which may have been why he loved it so deeply. The other thing that had been able to crack through his shell was Sora, and the love that came along with the brunet. But that love was gone and now there were only haunting memories of how Riku used to feel. The grief was enough to tear through his rough exterior that normally kept him protected from pesky things like emotions and feelings.

He hated that just the _sight_ of Sora was able to break him.

* * *

Roxie and Sora walked into the apartment and noticed the rancid smell coming from the kitchen almost immediately. The brunet turned to glower at his friend.

"I _told_ you to take the garbage outside!" Sora complained while running into the tiny kitchen area. There sat the garbage, miserably leaned over onto the floor and expelling one of the foulest odors the brunet had ever encountered.

"I didn't know it was urgent! You said we had to go!" Rox made reference to Sora's haste that morning. The brunet huffed angrily and then began to hold his breath. He threw the trash bag at Roxie and turned around to clean up what it had spilled onto the tile floor. He heard a soft scream come from behind him, though, and immediately whirled around.

"Oh, shit! Rox, I'm so sorry!" Sora burst out in-between a fit of giggles. The trash bag was over-stuffed (as usual, since both the men were too lazy to take it down stairs, outside the building, and all the way to the garbage) and had burst on contact with the blonde. She stood with a horrified expression on her face as trash juices and assorted decomposing food bits soaked into her clothes and ran down her skin.

"You're going to pay for that, West!" Roxie roared and kicked off her heels so she could chase Sora around the apartment. The brunet was much faster in pants than his friend was in a skirt, though, and effortlessly avoided the blonde's attempts to kill him. He laughed as he slammed his door closed behind himself and locked it. Roxie pounded on the door in anger.

"Go take a shower so we can go to work! We've got one hell of a night ahead of us." Sora sighed in happiness at the childish display from Roxie and began changing his clothes. He listened as the blonde muttered under her breath, hit the door one last time for good measure, and then headed for the bathroom.

Sora had stripped down to his boxers when his phone began to ring. He picked it up and grinned into the speaker.

"Sora West, CityRise Publishing." The brunet hadn't bothered checking the caller ID, so he figured he should answer professionally just in case.

"Ouch, I got the _professional_ answer. Did I do something wrong?" Kairi laughed on the other end of the line.

"No, no! Of course not, Kai. I just forgot to check, that's all. How was your day, snuggle bug?" Sora pulled on his work uniform while he and Kairi chatted about their days and the events which had taken place. She entertained him with a story about how her time was spent with boring clients and old people looking at condos, since she worked in real estate. Sora made up a story about his day. He figured that leaving out the _"I ran into my ex-boyfriend who broke my heart and swore me off of men even though I'm gay" _part would be in both of their favors.

"Well, I'm glad you had such a great day, honey. Do you want to grab a bite to eat later? I might be in the city for a bit…" Kairi used her sexy voice that implied she'd be in the city for very specific reasons, and one of them happened to be attached to Sora. The brunet panicked, though, knowing that it was Thursday.

"Nope, sorry! I have to eat at my parent's house." Sora blurted out while throwing on his shirt.

"Really? You're always there!" Kairi whined, hating how often Sora spent time in his childhood home outside of the city. Little did she know, Sora was actually going to be at the farthest place from his traditional Italian house-hold.

"Sorry, Kai. I really need to go home. I'll chat with you later. I love you." Sora dismissed her complaints and quickly ushered her off the phone so she couldn't ask more questions. He breathed a sigh of relief as he ended the call and set the phone down on his comforter. He stood fully clothed in his work attire. He frowned at himself in the small mirror he had attached to the side of the dresser and quickly threw on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie to cover up the uniform. No need to scare anyone out on the street.

His phone began ringing again within seconds of him hanging up. The brunet frowned and quickly picked up the call.

"When I say no, it means no! We'll fuck another night, okay?" Sora snapped into the mouth-piece. The other line remained quiet for a moment.

"I'm sorry. I must have the wrong number. I'll try again." The line went dead. Sora became tomato red when he realized he recognized the voice on the other end of the line. This time when the phone rang he answered as usual.

"Sora West, CityRise Publishing." He cringed as the man on the other line let out a soft chuckle.

"I knew I didn't get it wrong. Long time no see, huh, Sora?" Riku asked huskily from the other end of the call. Sora could have fainted right then and there from embarrassment.

"How did you get my number?" He asked hastily, remembering how he had cut off all contact with the silveret right after they broke up.

"I asked your manager, of course. She offered me contact information on both the publishing house and you, since you're going to be the author of this biography and all." Riku spoke coolly and calmly. Sora never knew just how nervous the silveret was, but, then again, Riku was a master of manipulation. He did it for a living, after-all. He changed people's thoughts and feelings with sounds and words in the form of music, why couldn't he do it in person, too?

"I thought you didn't want the book?" Sora questioned.

"I don't. But—" He paused, "I'm willing to make you a deal." Riku mentioned casually.

"What?" the brunet wondered whether or not his long lost lover was joking.

"A deal, West. I'm willing to cut you a deal."

"…what's in it for me?" Sora hesitantly wondered.

"Well, seeing as I can't find a single published book of yours on public record, I'm imagining this one would make you fabulously wealthy and famous. That's what you want, isn't it? Fame? Fortune?" Riku pondered over the phone line. Sora could vividly remember the way he used to ask multiple questions like that years ago. He would tilt his head ever-so-slightly to the left and stare you down with those gorgeous aqua eyes. The brunet shook his head to rid himself of the image and tried to focus on the task at hand.

"If I remember correctly, _you're _the one who wanted fame and fortune." The brunet couldn't help the small amount of venom in his words. "What's in it for you, though? Why the sudden change of heart?" Sora regretted his diction immediately.

"I have all the money a man could ever need and all the fame a man could want. I need neither of those things from this novel." Riku scoffed.

"Then what do you want from me? I don't have anything to offer you…" Sora sat down on his bed and tried to work through all the thoughts buzzing around in his head.

"_It's a secret_…" Riku whispered. Sora's body felt the immediate reaction to the sultry voice.

"What?!" Sora exclaimed before he heard a faint _click_ and the call was over.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters of Kingdom Hearts, or the ideas from Kingdom hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**

**Music this chapter**

**Stay Beautiful- The Last Goodnight**


	3. Chapter 3

Sora stared at the phone in his hands for a few moments. Had Riku really just called him? Had the phantom man, who seemed to be a distant memory until their chance meeting at the hotel, contacted him after all these years? And the things he had said! He talked to Sora as if they had never stopped speaking to each other at all. Casually. Calmly. No trace of awkwardness or unresolved feelings.

_I have all the money a man could ever need and all the fame a man could want._

If Riku had all those things (the brunet knew he did because he couldn't go grocery shopping without seeing the silveret's face on at least three magazines in the store) he couldn't possibly need Sora for anything. He had little money, little friends, a little apartment, and little reputation. The only things he had of value to him were Roxas, his jobs, and Kairi. His family made the list, too, but Riku wouldn't be interested in them at all. He had been long ago when the two had dated, but now? There was no way he wanted to just "catch up" with them. Sora began to think about his three (four, technically, if you counted his jobs separately) things he cared about.

His job at the publishing house was his passion. He had loved writing from the moment he learned how to spell his own name clumsily and poorly on paper. When he was eight he was creating elaborate stories with characters that faced limitless trials and persevered through them all. By the time he was thirteen he had realized that not every hero won their battles and could think of complex situations where the protagonist faced trials that weren't dragons or monsters but internalized faults. At eighteen years of age he was able to put the most intense and true of feeling into words.

Infatuation. Passion. Desire. Love. Heartache. Depression. Loathing.

Emotions soared from his fingers into a pen and onto a blank piece of paper that was later splattered with words that felt more real to Sora than tears or blood ever could. Writing was an escape for him. He could take all of the terrible and wonderful things Riku made him feel and put them somewhere else instead of in his head and his heart. He couldn't bear to keep those feelings inside himself. Just like his clever protagonists when he was thirteen, there were battles he couldn't win.

So his passion took him to CityRise Publishing, where he quickly ascended from an ass-kissing editorial boy to an ass-kissing author. His only problem was that he hadn't written a book worth anything of real value yet. He had taken all of the _feeling_ that had flowed through his body and shoved it all out onto papers he kept hidden under his mattress and now in the safe in his closet. Those papers could make him millions and he knew that; he refused to give Riku that satisfaction, though. He wasn't going to let the man that tore him to shreds know that he had actually hurt him. He wasn't a hot shot author yet. He would find a way to become one, though. All he needed was a story that he could use to change lives.

His other job was far less life changing. Sora loved it all the same, though. The cabaret was his escape from all the horrors of society. It was his own personal island of isolation where all of the world's pressures melted off of him. Well, his own personal island that Kairi could never know about.

Kairi was a grey area for Sora. She was pretty, intelligent, and fun. Kairi liked her space—Sora loved to cuddle. Kairi liked to party—Sora loved to stay in. Kairi liked to sleep around—Sora wanted to be in a closed relationship. Kairi liked to manipulate people—Sora was so easily manipulated. Kairi hated gay people—Sora liked _men_. They got along smashingly so long as Sora kept his mouth shut and pleasantly nodded at all the right times. _I love her. I truly love her. Well, at least I _think_ I love her._

Roxas was the last and most important thing he cared about. Sora began to think fondly of his bubbly and blond friend just as the devil himself came pounding at his door, fresh out of the shower.

"Hurry up or we're going to be late!" Roxas knocked loudly and then proceeded to wiggle the knob for added effect. Sora opened the door with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm ready. Chill." He stepped out of his room and closed the door behind himself. Roxas (who hadn't yet changed into his female attire, but was wearing a wig cap and foundation) made a clicking noise of distaste with his tongue.

"Your sweatpants don't match your shirt." Rox wandered over to the bathroom and stepped inside after flicking on the light. Sora rolled his eyes once more and made his way into the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat before heading to work for the night. He couldn't eat after eight in the evening because he would look fat in his uniform. He wouldn't get tipped if he looked bad. He knew the drill.

"Does it look like I give a fuck?" He asked his friend playfully before continuing. "I'm just going to take it off anyway." He mentioned matter-of-factly.

"Sor_-rah,_ don't talk like _that!_ You _know_ what it does to me!" Roxas pretended to moan from inside the bathroom. For the third time in just a few minutes time-span, the brunet rolled his eyes. He took one of the mixing spoons from the jar on the counter and threw it into the bathroom, hitting hit friend in the arm. Roxas yelped in more surprise than pain and threw the utensil back.

"You are so full of shit. You know that, Hart?" Sora washed the spoon off and placed it back in its container. His best friend simply chuckled while fixing her wig. Sora knew the moment that the long hair touched Rox's shoulders he was no longer Roxas but Roxie instead. He could wear all the make-up he wanted and heels four feet tall, but if he wasn't wearing that wig he wasn't Roxie. It was the brunet's only way to tell and he hadn't been wrong thus far.

"I actually just went to the bathroom, so that's impossible." Roxie smiled at him cheekily.

"I'm rooming with a comedian! Boy, did I luck out or _what_? And to think I thought you were useless." He grabbed the keys to the Rusty Stallion before Roxie could and started for the car. The blonde was hot on his trail.

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm, West. Especially not when I pay a majority of the bills around here." Roxie teased. Sora snorted and shuffled down another flight of stairs out of the apartment.

"The hell you do. If it weren't for the publishing house we'd both be out on our asses." He reminded him.

"Hey! I make decent money at the cabaret and you know it! People tip me like crazy." Roxie whined while sliding into her seat. The sunset streamed into the car and both of them put their visors down to avoid being blinded. Sora made the car roar to life and turned on the radio as he pulled out. After the first few chords of the song Rox shut it off. "It's a new song. You wouldn't like it much." She mentioned casually.

"It's by them, isn't it?" The brunet asked warily.

"Duh, Sor-rah." Roxie rolled her eyes while adjusting her hoodie. The hot pink material made her seem paler than normal because she was missing all of her stage make-up. She'd be covered head to toe in the stuff soon enough.

"Let's turn it back on. I want to hear it." Sora reached for the radio but Rox swatted his hand away. Her nails were freshly painted. Sora hadn't noticed before. "No, seriously. I want to hear it." Sora turned the radio on and let the music fill the car.

**Tongues always pressed to your cheeks while my tongue is on the inside of some other girls teeth. Tell your boyfriend, if he says he's got beef… That I'm a vegetarian and I ain't fucking scared of him.**

"Oh, how delightful." Sora scowled and turned off the radio. They were nearly at the cabaret anyway.

"That one's my favorite member." Roxie swooned and smiled stupidly in her seat.

"Axel? The _'fiery red-head with a need for speed and a love for the ladies'_? " Sora quoted the covers of magazines.

"Yeah…" Roxie practically melted at just the thought of him.

"He likes _women_. And he's famous."

"So? Can't a girl dream?"

"Perfect. He's your dream date and Riku's my worst nightmare. What could go wrong with us doing their interviews?" The brunet muttered cynically. Roxie frowned in his direction.

"A hell of a lot can go wrong if you keep up a bad attitude like that. You can't change what's happening, but you _can_ change how you react to it. You're always telling me that Riku has no hold over you anymore. So prove it. Do his interviews. Make him see how unaffected you are." She suggested while they pulled into their parking spot. Sora ducked his head as he got out of the car.

"Have I ever told you that sometimes you're not a blabbering idiot?" Sora asked before grabbing his bag out of the backseat. Roxie came around the other side and smacked him on the head. Sora turned around to hit her back but stopped when he heard a loud shout aimed toward him.

"Cut it out, West! If you hurt our lead dancer's face I'm taking it out of your paycheck." A menacing voice called from the back door to the cabaret. Hidden away from the main road there wasn't a soul who knew the cabaret existed except for those who were supposed to. From the outside it looked like an abandoned Asian food market that no one ever went to. On the inside it was the perfect haven for those who weren't allowed to walk the streets.

"Oh shut up, Squall." Sora skipped up the concrete steps into the shady entrance of the cabaret. It was dimly lit and now that the sun was setting he could hardly see without the lights on. Leon would wait until night-time to throw them on, though, to avoid attention from people who may be out walking on the streets. He had kept his cabaret a secret for five years now, and he was too cautious to ever let the secret out.

"Don't call me Squall." The other brunet frowned and patted Sora on the back as he passed him in the narrow entry-way. When Roxie stepped up and through he gave the blonde a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh don't be such a sour-puss, Leon." Roxie smiled at him happily and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek in return for his own. She stepped past him and entered the door on the right that led to the dressing room. Inside there were women and men all getting ready for the night's show. A particular man caught Roxie's attention and she ran up to him gleefully.

"Hello-hello, Little Miss Hart!" Cloud swung the blonde around and quickly escorted her to her chair. He laid out all of her make-up for the night and scurried off to grab her out-fits.

"You'd think it's been years since she's seen you guys." Sora smiled as he leaned in the doorway. Leon came up behind him after closing the cabaret's main door and locking it tight. Admission to the show wasn't until nine and it was only seven or so. Didn't need anyone stumbling in to something they didn't want to see.

"We haven't heard from you guys since Sunday morning. That's a whole four days. Might as well be an eternity in Roxie's world." Cloud chuckled when he came back out of the closet with Roxie's dress for the night. Black. Sleek. Sexy. It was far more subtle than the outfits she usually wore.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not sitting right here." Rox pouted her lips and used the moment to put on her lipstick. Deep red. Very alluring.

Various dancers shuffled about getting ready for the night. Sora had seen plenty of them come and go over the past five years of working in the cabaret. The brunet had been friends with the couple well into their high school days. Riku, Sora, Cloud, and Leon all used to go on secret double dates. He had started as a bartender just to help out Leon and Cloud. They were fresh out of college with nothing more than two theatrical degrees between them. The couple found the empty warehouse and in a drunken fit of brilliance one night they decided to buy it. They turned the place into a business and a haven.

"Don't pout or your face will stick like that." Sora pointed to Roxie accusingly. She bit her lip and went back to putting on her blush.

"Sora, can I ask a favor of you?" Leon clasped his shoulder. Over the past five years Leon and Cloud had become Sora and Roxie's closest friends. Well, _only_ friends, when you think about it. There used to be a large group of them all. Blaze and Kairi… But things change.

"What's up?" Sora left the confinement of the bustling and noisy dressing room and entered the narrow and dimly lit hallway once more. The two brunets passed the ticket box and walked a few feet further into the large open area of the cabaret. They traveled to the bar where a different bartender was behind the counter. He sat on a barstool while counting stock of the alcohol. Sora looked to Leon, confused.

"Um, pretty sure I'm the bartender…" Sora mentioned with a trace of annoyance in his voice. Leon rubbed the back of his head and smiled guiltily.

"We had one of our running boys quit on short notice. And by that I mean he quit today, when he showed up, half an hour ago. I knew a bartender I could call…" Leon started, but Sora crossed his arms and cut him off.

"But not a running boy." He scowled in Leon's direction before walking back toward the dressing room.

"It's just for the weekend, until I can get a new one!" Leon clambered after him, practically knocking over a barstool in the process.

"I'm _not_ a running boy! I'm a bartender. I don't wait tables, I don't hit on guests, and I sure as hell _do not_ wear the _outfit_!" Sora felt beyond disrespected.

"You'll only have to do the private booths! I'll pay you double all weekend! Triple, if I have to!" Leon called after him. Sora stopped in his tracks and tried to think. Was his dignity really worth thirty dollars an hour?

"Fine. But you owe me." Yes. Yes it was.

* * *

"So where are you taking me again?" Axel laid on Riku's bed while petting Kida and throwing a ball up into the air alternatively. The red-head had been in this position for about an hour—ever since Riku had actually opened the door and let Axel into the sulking room filled with despair and self-loathing. The endless amounts of self-admiration and effortless fun that the tattooed boy exuded had cleared the room of its dark and dismal funk. Riku enjoyed that about his best (and pretty much only) friend.

"It's called _The Cabaret_." Riku stated while towel drying his hair. He had taken a real shower this time. Not just one where he wallowed in the spray of self-pity and hotel water.

"Sounds sexy." Axel wiggled his eyebrows and looked down at his clothes. He was wearing a white t-shirt and some baggy sweatpants he had picked up off of Riku's floor. He frowned. "Should I change?"

"I'm not sure what to expect, actually. I don't want to be over-dressed." Riku stared at his closet with distaste. Had he not packed any of his nice clothes? He had plenty of them for photo-shoots and magazine covers and all the fancy debuts. There seemed to be nothing flattering in his whole suitcase that the band's assistant had so carefully arranged in the closet.

"Maybe Larxene stole something. I've always secretly wondered whether or not she's a man." Axel mused out-loud. He was promptly hit in the stomach with a high heel plummeting at deathly speeds. The frightening blonde stood in the entrance to Riku's room with a permanent smirk on her face.

"Hello, Larxy." Riku tipped an imaginary hat in the woman's direction. She had been the band's personal care-taker for nearly six years now. She liked to think she had a professional job where she was a major asset to the band's success. Everyone in the band liked to think of her as their mother, though. She was strict on curfew and their eating habits. She made all their appointments and cleaned their rooms, picked out their outfits and did their laundry, and even handled all cat-fights between members. She had threatened to kick Riku out of his own band, once. Normally, something like that would be amusing to the Silveret. However, this was Larxene they were dealing with, and she was scary as hell. She could be a calm mama kitty at some points, proud of her little kittens running around wild and taking on the world. Other times… she was an absolute monster with pointy fangs and sharp claws, ready to tear you to shreds if you didn't step back into line.

She smiled at Riku. It was a perfect rich person smile. She had her teeth fixed with all of the money the band paid her to essentially run their lives. Xemnas handled the "band" aspect of _The World That Never Was_ and Larxene handled every little fucking detail other than that. With her rich person smile (with sparkling white teeth straighter than should be natural) and her platinum blonde hair she was gorgeous but deadly. Her smile faded when she turned to address Axel.

"So you think I'm a man, do you?" She snarled.

"I'm sorry, _Mom._" Axel droned out in an annoying voice suited for a twelve-year-old who had just done wrong at the dinner table. Larxene closed her eyes for a moment before throwing her other shoe at the red head. He let out a small shriek of terror before dive-bombing off of the bed and peeking over the edge with Kida at his side. The shoe landed softly on the comforter.

"How old are you, Axel?" She scowled.

"I just turned fwee!" Axel held up three fingers and baby talked to her. Riku suppressed a chuckle in fear of her finding another shoe.

"Well, you sure as hell act like it." She turned her attention to the silveret instead. "How late will you be out? Where are you going? Are you driving or do I need to get a driver for you? Will you be drinking? If you are, then I sure as hell won't let you be driving. What are you wearing?" She spewed forty questions at him all at once. Riku's brain had a hard enough time processing what she had said, let alone finding the answers to the questions.

"We're going to a bar, I'll need a driver, I don't know when we're coming back, we'll be drinking, and I have no idea what I'm going to wear." Riku inhaled dramatically before speaking again. "Happy, Mom?" He smiled cheekily and watched as Larxene's face dropped into a smirk once more.

"_Very._ You two have fun. I'll let you know when I have a driver ready." She picked up her stilettos and clicked her way out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her. Axel came out from hiding and slid back onto the bed. Kida found herself bored with his antics and pranced her way over to her master's side. He crouched down on his legs and rubbed his nose against the soft fur of her face. She tried desperately to give him kisses but he stayed out of her reach.

"She's an absolute Nazi." Axel muttered grumpily before stripping out of his pants and walking to his own room.

"She means well!" Riku called after him and gave Kida a quick hug before standing back up to inspect his closet again. He heard a sharp cry of surprise and then a soft chuckle from outside the open doorway. He turned around to see Larxene standing with one of her shoes in her hand, twirling around menacingly. "Spare me, oh great one?" Riku pleaded half-heartedly while the blonde walked her way over to his closet.

Magically, as if she had been hiding them all along, she pulled out Riku's favorite pair of black jeans. She threw them in his direction and grabbed a pair of studded boots to go with, and a soft linen shirt that hugged his chest in all the right places. Riku stared at her in wonder as she began to leave the room.

"What kind of witch-craft is this?" He muttered to himself once she left. He heard another cry of surprise and assumed she was tormenting Axel once more. Riku rolled his eyes as she changed, knowing that the two of them were like oil and water. It was never going to be seamless.

He inspected himself in the mirror. His black jeans hugged his muscular thighs and tucked into his boots perfectly at the bottom. He had them laced up so the tops flared out a bit and the studs were more noticeable. His linen shirt stretched across his prominent chest and seemed to weave itself against his six-pack as well. Riku wasn't as vain as Axel, but he was damn proud of the body he had worked so hard for. Ten years ago he was too tall for his age and slender as hell. Between his lanky frame and his pale complexion he looked like a walking ghost or skeleton. What had Sora even seen in him?

He cringed when the thought reached his mind. Sure, he was far more attractive in society's view now. Girls drooled over his magazine covers and practically died when Larxene had booked the band a nearly naked photo-shoot. He could have any girl he wanted. Too bad he didn't like girls. Too bad the one man he couldn't get out of his head he had left ten years ago.

"Damn, you clean up nice." Axel remarked. He said the same thing every time Riku was in something other than sweats. The Silveret liked to be comfy even if it was "unprofessional" for a rock star. So sue him.

"Oh, shut up." He turned around to look at Axel. "That's what you're wearing?"

Axel had never really been one for modesty. Tight leather pants and a deep-v t-shirt weren't exactly hiding any of the red-head's assets. He did look good, though, and he had won the nation's "sexiest man of the year award" three times in a row because of it. And to think that none of it had gone to is head at all.

"Yeah! I'm hot as fuck, right?" Okay, so maybe it _had_ gone to his head a _little._

"Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I find _you_ attractive, you know." Riku rolled his eyes and made a face of disgust.

"And just because I'm straight doesn't mean I can't look at a guy and go 'damn, what a good looking fella', _you know_." Axel remarked while combing through his long hair.

"You better be careful who you say that to, Ax. Not everyone feels that way." The silveret reminded his best-friend cautiously. You could never be too careful.

"Well, everyone is a bunch of idiots. You're Riku, man. You'll always be Riku, no matter who you sleep with. Not that you're sleeping with anyone. Hah!" The red-head poked his friend in the chest and laughed. Riku's face dropped from appreciation at Axel's tolerance to annoyance at his joke.

"Very funny. Hah-hah." He checked his phone and noticed a text from Larxene saying that the driver was ready at the front of the hotel. He ushered Axel out of the room and gave Kida treat before sending Larx a text reminding her to take the dog out.

"I don't see why we need to be chaperoned like some group of sixth graders on a field trip to the zoo. I grew up in this city, man. I know where everything is!" Axel moaned while they waited in the elevator.

"Not everything…" Riku smirked as the elevator descended.

The driver dropped them off at a bar a few blocks away from the cabaret. They went inside and waited for ten minutes before Riku decided the coast was clear. The pair snuck out of the back entrance to the bar and shielded their signature hair and faces as much as possible while walking down the street. No one seemed to take enough time to look at them, though, and therefore they weren't recognized.

"I love that about the city. No one gives a shit what your story is. You're just another person on the street in their way." Axel chuckled and Riku looked around at the bustling sidewalk. The red-head had a point. People knocked shoulders, stepped on toes, and did everything _but_ apologize to the person they had technically assaulted.

They made it to the back entrance of the cabaret by five minutes to eleven. The bouncer outside looked them up and down before the two boys removed their hoods. His face lit up with recognition and he began to speak, but Riku cut him off.

"We were never here, you understand me?" He handed the bouncer five hundred dollars rolled up with a rubber band. The large man chuckled softly and handed the money back.

"Don't you get it? _No one_ was ever here. This place doesn't _exist_." He let the two men in without another thought and once again manned his post after they slid into the narrow and dimly lit hallway. They followed a sickly-sweet smoke trail to the ticket box. A woman sat inside with barely anything covering her chest. Her feet were stuck up on the inside of the glass, as if she had her feet on a dashboard.

"Leon advanced me tickets. They're for Docken." Riku spoke quickly and quietly to the woman. She popped her gum and eyed him up and down before speaking.

"Slow down there, cowboy. Enjoy yourself a little. _Relax_. You're _safe_ here." She slid him his tickets and winked at Axel. The red-head bit his lip and smirked in return. Riku grabbed him by the arm and carried him off to their private booth.

They entered the main room of the cabaret and were shocked to see what it held inside. Regal looking velvet covered much of the walls and the floor was a deep brown wood color. The bar to their left was busy with people sitting and ordering drinks, and also waiters trying desperately to get the lone bartender's attention. He seemed to be going slowly on purpose. He didn't look too thrilled to be behind the counter. Riku's assumptions proved true when he saw the guy take a swig right out of a bottle and then go back to filling orders.

To the right he could see tables everywhere on the bottom floor. It was a split level warehouse. General admission was on the bottom floor where all of the round tables were. Waiters scampered around frantically trying to serve people food or drinks. Riku was grateful he was friends with Leon and Cloud and didn't have to sit with everyone else. Living lavishly had spoiled him to a certain extent.

The pair made their way up the stairs and to their own private section numbered _booth nine._ All of the booths were covered in the back by a separating wall and rich, lavish velvet. Riku ran the material through his fingers and felt the familiar touch of it against his finger tips. He loved that feeling.

"This place is swank as hell. I feel like I'm at an opera or something." Axel pretended to put on a pair of opera glasses and began inspecting everything with them. Riku smacked him lightly.

"The show is about to start. We better get inside." He unlocked the booth with his key he received with the tickets. He stepped inside the room and felt immediately at home by how lavish and comfortable it looked. Axel dove into the booth and landed on the plush leather seat. Reds and golds filled the space with color and a sense of richness Riku adored.

"Dude. Let's come here every day." Axel rolled around on the leather seat and scooted over only so that Riku could sit down. The table in front of them was pure mahogany and was beautifully stained. There was a little button the men could press if they wanted a waiter to take their orders or bring them drinks. The edge of the booth was only a ten or so feet from the stage. No one in the booths next to them could see who they were and no one below could either. It was the perfect amount of seclusion. They could see the stage, the stage could see them, and nothing else.

"Be quiet, it's about to start." Riku hushed his friend and watched as the curtain went up on the stage. The lights dimmed in the cabaret and two burlesque dancers came out. One man, one woman. They did a small dance routine and everyone clapped. Riku hoped that this wasn't all there was to the cabaret his friends had told him so highly about. Leon and Cloud had stated that they had some of the best entertainment a guy (or gal) could want. Riku was bored, though.

"Was it just me or was that not very good?" Axel whispered before hitting the button that called for a waiter. "I bet it's a lot better when you're drunk." He smirked and leaned back in his seat. Riku could use a drink anyway.

"Alright, everyone! If that's what you came to see tonight you might as well leave, because that's not what you're going to get!" Cloud came onto the stage and boomed into a microphone. The audience cheered for his appearance and Axel raised an eyebrow at Riku. The silveret shrugged, pretending he didn't know any better.

"Thank you one and thank you all for coming this fabulous Thursday evening. We have shows running through Saturday night, so if you want to bring your friends or if you liked what you saw—" Leon started as he joined Cloud on the stage.

"Or you just want a place you can spend your money!" Cloud chimed in and the crowd laughed.

"Gosh, how many people are down there? How big is this place?" Axel asked quietly to his friend. Riku shrugged again.

"Then come on back and join us every week for dazzling performances—" Leon spoke again.

"Amazing costumes—" Cloud began.

"And one hell of a night!" The two finished together and bowed before sharing a kiss and leaving the stage. Axel grabbed Riku's arm in worry.

"Dude, aren't they going to get the shit beat out of them for that? You can't just _do_ that!" Axel asked frantically. Riku chuckled softly before reassuring his friend.

"They're going to be fine. They own the place, after all. I'm sure they say the same thing every night. I'm sure all the people that come here are regulars. It's a gay bar, anyway." Riku mentioned casually.

"_You took me to a gay bar?!"_ Axel hissed.

"Yes, yes I did. And it's not so bad, is it? You didn't even know." Riku reminded him. Axel stared at his friend in shock.

"I… I didn't even know…" He turned away from his friend and thought to himself for a moment. "I always pictured gay bars as like giant raves where no one wore any clothes and there were tons of orgies and drugs." He laughed.

"That's society for you. They'll stick anything on us that they can to make us look bad. But what did you just describe?" Riku mocked him.

"I guess I just described an after-party. Full of straight people. Full of famous straight people who do lots of drugs, run around naked, and have orgies." Axel laughed and relaxed in his seat. Riku smiled to himself. His best friend was a reasonable person. He had a lot of conditioning from the world and how it's "supposed" to work, though, and sometimes it was hard for the red-head to fight through that conditioning. "So I'm at a gay bar. That's fine. But why did we come here?" Axel asked curiously.

"I'm really old friends with the people who own it. Leon and Cloud are their names. I've known them since high-school."

"And they got you these tickets?" Axel asked.

"They're practically free. They make all their money off of tips and drinks anyway. The refuse to charge a lot because they hate turning away people who need a refuge." Riku smiled softly at the idea. They had always been such good-hearted people.

"So… gay people flock here because other gay people flock here, and that makes it safe?" Axel asked, confused.

"Of course it does. Who is going to go blabbering that they came to a gay cabaret? They'd get the shit kicked out of them and everyone knows it." Riku laughed as the lights went dim once more.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Kings and Queens! Boys and Girls and everything in-between—I present to you, _Roxie Hart!_" Cloud's voice left the intercom as the stage lit up with a single spotlight.

"Does that name sound familiar to you?" Axel asked in a hushed whisper. Riku shoved his face away with an exaggerated _shhhhhhh_ noise.

The curtain split when a blonde woman in boots up to her thighs and a sleek black dress stepped outside of it and closed it quickly behind her, leaning against it sexily with a small smirk on her face. The music started then, with violins and a solid baseline. She shifted her weight on her legs in time with the beat and leaned deeper into the curtain before singing.

"**Show a little more; show a little less. Add a little smoke… Welcome to Burlesque."** Her voice was extraordinary. Riku perked up at hearing her sing (seeing as the sexy display before hadn't really done much for him, being attracted to men and all). **"Everything you dream of but never can possess. Nothing's what it seems… Welcome to Burlesque!"**

"Dude, she's fucking _good_." Axel said in disbelief. Roxie was making her way from the curtain to a lone mic on the stage. She strut her way there slowly while singing.

"**Oh, everyone is buying; put your money in my hand. If you got a little extra, well, give it to the band." **She finished her walk to the microphone and danced skillfully along with the musician's instrumental solo. Riku could acknowledge that everything she was doing was perfect. She knew how to flow with the music. She knew how to sing. She knew how to work a crowd.

"**Something very dark is playing with your mind; It's not the end of days- It's just a bump and grind." **Roxie slid one leg around the microphone and slowly lowered herself down before rising back up again. Axel raised his eyebrows and turned to look at his best friend, who was a little less interest.

"**Oh, everyone is buying; put your money in my hand! If you want a little extra, well, **_**you know where I am…"**_ She bit her lip and winked out into the audience. Cheers could be heard from several booths next to the pair and from the audience down below.

"She's loveable, that's for sure." Riku muttered while listening to the music pick up.

"**Show a little more! Show a little less! Add a little smoke- Welcome to… BURLESQUE!"** The last stanza of the song the little blonde didn't hold anything back. She belted into the microphone as applause burst out around her. The music ended and she smiled graciously at the crowd. She had them wrapped around her finger. "Welcome, Welcome! How is everyone tonight? It's been so long since I've seen you all!" She chirped happily into the microphone and waved to the crowd below. Axel and Riku locked eyes at the same moment and cried out together.

"The book!" The pair exclaimed in unison as reality hit them. She was the assistant that would be doing their interviews! If she worked here, did that mean that…

The door creaked open and the men whirled around to see who had entered their room. The man was facing the door, away from them, while he spoke.

"I'm so sorry that it took so long, gentlemen! I promise next time I'll be faster. Now, what can I get you?" The waiter turned around and flashed Axel and Riku a dazzling smile before realizing who they were. He dropped the tray of glasses he was holding and stood stunned as they shattered to the floor.

Riku couldn't believe his eyes. Standing in front of him was a deliciously tanned, toned, and hardly dressed man. The tight spandex shorts the waiter wore showed off everything and left very little to the imagination, not that Riku needed to imagine much. He could remember plenty. What he didn't expect, though, was for the small and scrawny boy he had been in love with to turn into such a totally fuckable babe.

"I'll get someone to clean that up… and a new waiter." Sora stammered out before practically diving out of the room.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters of Kingdom Hearts, or the ideas from Kingdom hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**

**Music this chapter**

**3 Oh! 3- Don't trust me**

**Cher (From Burlesque) - Welcome to Burlesque**


	4. Chapter 4

Sora stormed down the stairs of the top level and surged his way through the throngs of people in the cabaret. He was a man on a mission—a murder mission, that is.

"_LEON!_" The brunet screamed to the taller man standing near the bar. At first Leon turned with a smile on his face but, when he saw Sora hurtling at him with fury covering every feature, his expression turned to pure horror. He grabbed Cloud and the two of them began running full sprint for the dressing room, knocking people over and shoving them out of their way with no remorse. It was push or be killed in this situation, and both of them happened to really like being alive.

Sora chased after them with vengeance coursing through his veins. He was even less polite than they had been as he shoved past his co-workers and guests of the cabaret. People were bewildered as to why a running boy was streaming past them with curses spewing from his mouth. Luckily for Sora, people were pretty used to the abnormal around the cabaret. If they came here for average, they were surely disappointed.

He crashed into the dressing room and snapped his head back and forth. No matter which direction he chose, though, he couldn't find Cloud or Leon anywhere. He began silently moving through the empty room (all the performers were on stage doing a big number) in an attempt to discover them before they could escape his grasp. He slowly crept his way into the closet at the end of the room and searched the floor for shoes that didn't fit in. He came across a vibrant pair of cobalt blue converse and yanked Cloud out from behind the massive amounts of clothes he had been hiding behind. The blond cried out in surprise and immediately began thrashing about in an attempt to get away.

"Leon! Leon, _run_!" He screamed before Sora put a hand over his mouth.

"How could you?" Sora sat the blond down on the glitter splattered floor and looked him dead in the eye. Cloud was astonished to see that Sora was tearing up.

"Sor, what's the matter? Why are you crying?" He asked gently before Leon entered the closet in a mad dash to save his boyfriend from the little brunet's fury. However, when he noticed that Sora wasn't aggressively attacking the blond, but was instead seated on the ground with tears silently streaming down his face, he stopped in his tracks.

"Sora?" The taller brunet questioned why his most reliable employee and one of his closest friends was currently reduced to a mess of tears on the ground.

"You _know_ what he did to me. You _knew_ he'd be here. You put me as a running boy on purpose just so I'd have to see him!" Sora wiped his cheeks with the back of his hands but it was a futile effort. His eyes kept spewing salty tears no matter how many times he wiped them.

"Oh, sweetie, we _never_ meant to make you upset. We knew you'd be angry with us, but we never thought you'd get hurt…" Cloud lovingly scooped Sora's smaller frame into his lap and let the brunet settle down while resting his head in the crook of Cloud's neck. Leon came next to the pair and rubbed the little brunet's back soothingly. Sora's tears soon stopped flowing and his breathing returned to normal.

"Honey, you _know_ we would _never_ try and make you cry. We love you too much for that." Leon reassured his friend after Sora was able to sit on his own.

"Of course you didn't do it on purpose. I've just had one hell of a day…" Sora quickly explained to the pair what had happened at the hotel this morning. The couple looked at each other with surprise. Why hadn't Riku told either of them about it when they spoke on the phone earlier? Was the Silveret trying to hide the book from even them?

"We're so sorry, Sora. We should have known better than to try to throw you two back together in such a difficult environment. We just thought it would be good for you to see him again. It's been so long since he…" Cloud started a sentence but trailed off when he realized the direction he was heading. Sora scoffed.

"What? Since he left me? Since he took my heart, stomped on it, tore it to shreds, stuck it in a blender, threw it in the garbage, sifted it _out_ of the garbage, and then repeated the process?" The brunet claimed in exasperation.

"Let's not get too dramatic, okay, darling? Leave that for the performers." Leon tousled Sora's spikes and helped him to his feet.

"So you had a rough break up! Everyone does!" Cloud exclaimed.

"Not _you_." Sora reminded the blond that he had never been broken up with, seeing as him and Leon had been dating for a little over ten years now with no end in sight.

"Not everyone gets it perfect the first time." Leon smiled at his lover's remark and kissed the blond on the cheek. Cloud grinned before turning his attention back to Sora.

"Look, baby. You're twenty-eight years old now. You're not eighteen anymore. You can't keep living in the past. You grew up, you got engaged, and you got crazy good-looking." He rubbed his face against Sora's happily while looking in the mirror. The brunet was sitting in Roxas' chair and allowed Cloud to invade his personal space. There weren't many people who were allowed inside Sora's bubble, but Cloud was easily on the list.

"He's not wrong, Sor. You're a great guy and anyone would be lucky to have you. Why don't we clean you up a bit and you can go show him what he missed out on?" Leon suggested eagerly. He was hoping that he could get the brunet out of his Riku-induced funk.

"Clean me up a bit?" Sora looked to the couple in confusion. They smiled deviously and began wielding brushes. Before he could escape Sora was being poked at and prodded by expert hands. He looked in the mirror at the finished product and sighed.

"I can't tell what's worse… the fact that I'm wearing make-up, or the fact that it makes me look fucking _good_." Sora stated while the couple high-fived in joy.

* * *

Riku couldn't get rid of the look of surprise on his face. Eventually Axel had to shake him before he was brought back into the land of the living.

"Isn't that the guy who is writing our book? What was his name again… um…" Axel tried to remember but his friend finished his thought for him.

"Sora West. His name is Sora." He stared at the table in disbelief. Could that really be the man he once loved so well? So much had changed in ten years.

"Yeah! That was it! Hey, are you okay?" Axel asked the Silveret but his attention turned elsewhere as another song started up. A deep techno beat swirled throughout the cabaret as more dancers practically flew to their places on the stage. The lights went out completely while the beat stayed on and grew more intense. The lone spotlight that was on Roxie disappeared and popped back up again a few moments later.

Her dress was completely gone. Riku had no idea where it went (he couldn't see it anywhere on the stage now that the lights were slowly growing brighter) but he seemed to be the only one in the booth transfixed on the location of her clothing. Axel, on the other-hand, was transfixed on the fact that she was wearing barely _any _clothing.

The sexy little dress was long gone and Roxie was clad in attire far different. Her stiletto boots had survived the blackout, much to Axel's enjoyment, but she was now wearing a black leather corset with lime-green bows on the bottom. Her lingerie was leather as well, and the lace straps holding it to her corset matched the little bows. The music picked up and she aggressively grabbed the microphone out of it's stand.

"**So hot, out the box, can you pick up the pace? Turn it up, heat it up- I need to be entertained. Push the limit, are you with it? Baby, don't be afraid! I'm a hurt 'ya real good, baby."** Roxie's voice shifted from the warm and inviting persona she was putting on to a scratchy and heavy one. Riku raised an eyebrow at the automatic switch with no warning. She was an excellent performer- that was for sure.

The lights stayed low as green strobes and beams accompanied the performance. Rox's spot turned green as well, highlighting the accents on her outfit, and one of the other dancers threw her what appeared to be a long, black, and leather whip. She cracked it once on the ground and all of the performers, both male and female, dropped to the ground with their legs splayed and their heads hanging.

"**Let's go, it's my show, Baby, do what I say. Don't trip off the glitz that I'm gonna display- I told ya I'm a hold ya down until you're amazed… Give it to ya 'til you're screaming my name!" **She used the second verse as time for her own solo dance number. She dropped to the floor with the rest of the dancers but after she splayed her legs open she closed them back together before getting on her hands and knees and crawling out toward the audience. Her movements were deliberate and sexy

"**No escaping when I start. Once I'm in I own your heart. There's no way you'll ring the alarm, so hold on until it's over!"** She made it to the edge of the stage and rolled over onto her back, letting her legs fly into the air. She slowly and methodically spread them open until she was doing a near split. She then rolled back over onto her front and got to her knees one more, grabbing the mic and singing into it before jumping up to start the chorus.

"**Oh, do you know what you got into? Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do? 'Cause it's about to get rough for you. I'm here for your entertainment!" **She strut her way over to one of the male dancers and stepped on his shoulder with her heel. She cracked the whip on the ground in front of him and he sprung to life, getting his own green spotlight. She did the same for another male dancer and after he received his spotlight they followed her back to the edge of the stage.

"**Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet. 'Ya thought an angel swept you off your feet, but I'm about to turn up the heat. I'm here for your entertainment!" **She finished the chorus and turned around, pulling something out of the top of her corset. She let the items fall to the ground and Axel peered closer. Were those… _leashes?_

"**It's alright- you'll be fine, Baby, I'm in control. Take the pain, take the pleasure I'm the master of both! Close your eyes- not your mind, let me into your soul. I'm a work it 'til you're totally blown!" **As Roxie sang the next verse she slowly and sexily worked her way around the two men. She attached the leashes to strappy leather harnesses they were wearing on their chests and cracked the whip behind them so they fell into a position where they both rested on their hands and knees.

She sang another chorus as she used the whip to control the men in front of her. They crawled on the floor with deliberate and strong movements, giving the impression of being completely under Roxie's control. She cracked the whip behind her and two girls (dressed similarly to Roxie, but more revealing of cleavage) appeared behind her from the floor and unhooked the men from their leashes. The men, upon being released, dominated the girls and picked them up seductively while Roxie belted.

"**Oooohhh... Do you like what you see? Wooooaaaahhhh... Let me entertain 'ya till you screeaaam!"** The dancers behind her faded into the background while all the green lights centered on the blonde singing her heart out at the edge of the stage. The audience cheered when she hit the word "scream" and Roxie dropped to the floor, running her hands from her chest down to her legs as tantalizingly as possible.

"**Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet. 'Ya thought an angel swept ya off your feet. Well I'm about to turn up the heat- I'm here for your entertainment!" **The last chorus finished with the dancers crowding around Roxie. The two men she had used before picked her up and she sat on their shoulders with her legs crossed and arms behind her head casually while everyone else struck poses beneath her. The music hit the last chord and faded electronically out from behind them. The lights went dim and the performers scrambled off the stage. By the time all the regular lights in the cabaret came back on, all of them had vanished.

"What the hell is a girl like that doing in this place? Or working for a publishing company, for that fact? She's a brilliant performer!" Axel couldn't believe it. She had everything it took to make it big. She had stage presence. She had the voice, the attitude, and the dance skills. She was the perfect example of what talent scouts were looking for.

"Maybe it's loyalty? Look at how many people in the crowd adore her. She's probably been here for years and can't find the heart to leave." Riku mentioned casually before their door opened. Both men turned their heads to look in the doorway.

"I'm so sorry about the mess, boys. I'll be sure it clean it up." Sora had a small broom and dust-bin in his hands. He quickly side-stepped around the broken glass and the tray on the ground before bending down and sweeping up the mess. Riku's eyes widened when the brunet effortlessly glided down to the ground with his ass practically in the silveret's face. Axel raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything to his friend.

"That's okay. I drop shit all the time." Axel casually replied to his waiter. Sora stood up and smiled graciously after dumping the dust-bin into the trash. He placed his hands on his hips and turned his smile from a polite grin aimed at the red-head to a sly and sensual smirk in Riku's direction.

"_How can I help you_?" He asked while looking directly at the silveret. Riku stumbled for words but Axel didn't even notice.

"He'll take a vodka and red-bull and I want coke and whiskey." He instinctively rattled off their go-to drinks and waited for the brunet to write them down. Sora stood perfectly still with his hands on his hips, though, and turned his smile back to polite in Axel's direction.

"I'll be right back up with those. Don't miss me too much while I'm gone!" Sora's grin faultered as he spoke the designated line each waiter or waitress had to give to the customers. He left the room and Riku blinked in confusion.

_He's changed so much…_ The Silveret couldn't help but think of the once shy and timid boy he had been in love with. He seemed so much like the old Sora when he had stumbled in and dropped the tray. But who was this man with such a façade of confidence?

Riku darted from the table and followed Sora down the stairs, despite how Axel was calling for him in confusion. He took the steps two at a time and when he reached the bottom of the spiraling staircase he crashed into the little brunet. He turned around in surprise and peered upward at Riku with a look of horror on his face. He tried to compose himself but had a hard time falling back into the sexy front he had been putting on in the booth.

"You're wearing make-up. You never wear make-up." Riku pointed out. They were standing in the bottom of the stairwell and, due to the fact that other running boys were flying past them, they were nearly pressed chest to chest. It was the closest Riku had been to the brunet in a decade. Sora thought he was going to hyperventilate.

"It was Cloud's idea. If I'm going to be a waiter I have to look the part." Sora's voice was airy and light. He seemed to be having trouble catching his breath. _What is wrong with him?_ Riku thought curiously.

"You weren't wearing it when you came into the booth before. You know, the time you dropped the tray of glasses everywhere?" Riku smirked and interrogated the smaller man. Sora shifted on his feet uncomfortably.

"Obviously I wasn't doing a good enough job for him. He decided I needed a little help." Sora lied.

"So he threw some eyeliner on you and told you to act like a slut?" Riku visibly saw Sora's breath get caught in his throat. He momentarily wondered if he'd have to pound on the brunet's back to get him to breathe again. "You're not that kind of guy, Sora."

"You don't know anything about me! Now shut up so I can go get your drinks." Sora spat at the silveret and quickly darted out of the stair-well. Riku stood where he was, shocked. How could Sora's moods switch so quickly? One moment he was practically shrinking under Riku's glance and the next he shouted in his face and took off?

Sora had a tray of their drinks in his hand as he strut past the Silveret with a look of contempt on his face. He held his nose high in the air and refused to glance in Riku's direction while he climbed the steps. The Silveret watched in awe as his tight ass and lean legs pranced up the stairs before Sora rounded the corner and could no longer be seen.

Riku had no idea what was going on or what had happened to the man he once loved so well. What he did know, though, was that he was going to find out whatever it took; he'd find a way to have the brunet for himself again.

* * *

The hours rolled by one after one and eventually it was three in the morning. Leon and Cloud kicked everyone out of the Cabaret and sighed by the door when the last patron slipped out of the exit. Sora wiped his brow and picked up a broom in order to sweep up the bar area. Roxie slipped off her high-heeled boots and dramatically laid down on the bar's counter top. She placed her hand on her forehead and threw the other one over the side of the counter.

"I don't know how much longer I can go on." She breathed out before pretending to croak. Sora rolled his eyes and threw his broom on top of her. She let out a small squeal before reluctantly getting up and sweeping around the bar. The brunet occupied himself by collecting all of the empty glasses on the bottom floor.

"Another successful night, wouldn't you say, Leon?" Cloud had his arm around his lover's waist and the brunet man had his around Cloud's shoulder. The two looked at each other lovingly before sharing a chaste kiss.

"It's enough to pay the bills and that's all I care about." He kissed into Cloud's hair before grabbing a wet rag to clear off the bar. The blond helped Sora grab the rest of the glasses and brought them over to the sink. There was a slew of other workers cleaning the place up for the night on the bottom floor along with the four men. They ignored their conversation, though, since all of them were used to being excluded from the friends' banter.

"Tomorrow should be even better!" Roxie chimed in cheerfully before yawning.

"You better be bright-eyed and bushy tailed, girlie. I can't have you slacking on us." Leon scolded her.

"You're our star, after all!" Cloud smiled happily before turning on the sink water and soaking all the glasses.

"Don't flatter her. It all goes straight to her fat head." Sora laughed before dumping his cups in the sink next to Cloud. Roxie frowned and put her hands on her hips defensively.

"You're just sour because you don't get to have any fun on stage." She teased her friend. Sora scoffed and shook his head.

"No, I'm _sour_ because Cloud and Leon set me up for disaster tonight! What were you guys thinking? Riku saw right through the make-up and the act and I made a fool out of myself." Sora frowned and leaned against the counter. He looked down at his skimpy running boy uniform and cringed. This wasn't who he was. He wasn't flashy or seductive! That was Roxie's thing, and it always had been. No, he was much more reserved. He should have known better than to try to fool Riku. The Silveret was always good at clearing out the smoke and seeing things for what they truly were, especially when it came to Sora.

"How were we supposed to know you're a terrible actor?" Leon teased before placing his hand on Sora's shoulder reassuringly. "It'll be fine, Sor. He'll forget all about it; he's a big star now. He doesn't have time to remember little things like you going into his booth and shattering a bunch of glasses like a complete moron."

"Very funny, thanks." Sora scowled in Leon's direction and moved from underneath his hand. Cloud swatted at his boyfriend in distaste and wrapped his arms around the little brunet.

"Honey-bunch, don't you mind Leon for a second. He's just grumpy because he thought Riku would say hello to us." Cloud tousled Sora's hair affectionately.

"He didn't stop by?" Sora asked.

"No, he left after his first drink and took that red-head with him." Leon explained.

"His name is Axel. _Axel Andrus._" Roxie purred at the thought of the tattooed superstar. "He's such a babe. I can't believe he was here and I didn't even know!" She clapped giddily before returning to her broom.

"As you can see, Roxie is smitten with a complete stranger." Cloud explained to Leon, who was looking at the little blonde in confusion after her outburst.

"A _straight_ stranger!" Sora called to Roxie, drawing her out of her happy trance. She pursed her lips before crossing her arms.

"No one can look that fabulous and be straight. It's just not possible." She tried to reason with the brunet, but Sora was having none of it.

"That's bullshit! Just because someone is attractive doesn't mean they're gay!" Sora burst out.

"Ah-hah!" Roxie exclaimed. "So you _do_ find him attractive!" She smirked proudly.

"I do not! I can acknowledge the fact that he's good looking; I'm not _blind_ after all. But he's not my type." Sora retorted.

"Kairi has red hair…" Cloud muttered under his breath and quickly dodged the swipe Sora had aimed for him.

"And a vagina- neither of which Sora likes!" Roxie snorted with laughter while her best friend turned bright red with anger.

* * *

By the time they got to their apartment Sora and Roxas (who had taken off his wig and changed into basketball shorts and a baggy t-shirt at the Cabaret) were both exhausted. The brunet flipped the light switch on while Roxas mechanically walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. He downed about half of it before realizing it had his room-mate's name on it; upon said realization he offered the drink to Sora. The brunet grimaced and waved his friend to just finish the bottle.

"How do you do this? I'm going to be a zombie tomorrow morning." Roxas questioned. Sora had been working Thursday nights at the Cabaret and getting up bright and early the next morning for nearly four years now. He was completely used to the mind-numbing tiredness that came from sleep deprivation; Roxas was going to have a harder time doing so because he was so new to it. The next few weeks would be torture for the blond and Sora wasn't excited to deal with it.

"Lots of caffeine, my friend. Lots and lots of Caffeine." Sora chuckled before dropping his bag over a dining-room chair. He ran his hands through his unruly hair and looked around the living room. The lights were all off beside the lone bulb in the kitchen, so the room looked dark and eerie. The couch and love-seat were facing the television set and Roxas had left controllers scattered about on the coffee table. Sora sighed and moved to go clean them up. He was getting used to picking up after his best friend's messes, sadly.

"I'm going to shower and then hit the sack. You'll wake me up in the morning?" Roxas asked hopefully while he watched Sora put the controllers back in their little bin. The brunet nodded and that was Rox's cue to hop into the bathroom leaving Sora alone in the dimly lit apartment.

He looked around at the little rooms and felt a pang of anger run through him. The dining room had plates of half-eaten food and cups that were sticky with pop scattered about. The living room, despite the fact that Sora had just put the controllers away, was littered with socks and chip bags or pop-corn bowls. His kitchen sink was over-flowing with dishes and the counters were an absolute disgrace. Had he lived this way before Roxas moved in? When had his apartment turned into a shit-hole?

He rubbed his tired eyes and decided to ignore all of the horror that his apartment held for the night. He dragged his aching feet toward his room and stumbled inside the door, closing it lightly behind him. He hated it when people slammed doors.

"Only two hours until I need to be awake. Hah. Great." Sora groaned when he looked at his clock. He made sure to check his phone so that the alarm was set and promptly stripped his clothes off. He threw on a pair of boxers and decided to call it a day. After slipping into his covers he turned the light on his nightstand off and rolled over onto his stomach. He didn't remember anything else until an alarm was blaring in his ear.

The brunet whined and let himself become blinded by his phone's lit screen. It was six in the morning and a few traces of sun-light were trying to stream in through the window. Sora bit his lip and forced himself up and out of bed. He stumbled to his dresser and grabbed his business clothes for the day. He decided to go simple: white button-up shirt, black tie, black slacks, and his comfiest dress shoes. He slumped his way out of the door while clutching his outfit and leaned against the wall the entire way to Roxas' room. He opened the door and found the blond sprawled out in bed sleeping peacefully. He braced himself for a world of hell coming his way.

"Rox, get up." He gently shook his friend. Roxas stirred but refused to wake. "Roxas you need to get up. You have a nine to five job to get to." He shook his friend again and sighed when the blond showed no signs of improvement. "Roxas, seriously. It's time to get up!" He shoved the blond off of the bed and waited for the stream of curses coming his way. To his surprise, though, his friend sat up on the floor and blinked at him sleepily.

"Sora… I feel awful…" He began to pout his signature Roxas/Roxie pout. His pink lips quivered pitifully and his big eyes filled with tears. The brunet frowned in annoyance and walked his way over to Rox's dresser. He began grabbing things for him to wear: thong, nylons, skirt, blouse, flats. Roxas smiled in appreciation at his friend and stood up to look at what he had picked out.

"Felling better?" Sora asked skeptically. Roxas shook his head.

"I feel like I was rolled over by a tractor and then went through the combine. But I'm up, aren't I?" He seemed proud of himself and Sora couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Don't worry. The feeling never goes away," He beamed while he friend looked at him in horror. "You just get used to feeling like shit." Sora laughed while leaving the room and heading for the shower.

"You know that none of this matches, right?" Rox called after him with a trace of amusement in his voice. Sora turned the corner so he could shove his hand in Rox's room. He promptly flipped his friend the bird and continued on his way to the bathroom. A shower sounded wonderful.

"Pour me my coffee, please!" He reminded his room-mate before closing the door and taking off his boxers. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror and let out a short laugh. He looked like death.

Stepping into a hot shower was a euphoric experience for the brunet. He let the water wash over him and cherished the feeling of his skin coming clean and his hair soaking with suds. He rubbed his tired shoulders and massaged his aching legs. He forgot how much being a running boy sucked. _Only two more nights left!_ Sora thought to himself cynically before stepping out of the shower's spray and drying off. After he got dressed he brushed his teeth and swished some mouthwash around before realizing he was about to have coffee. He frowned in contempt for his stupidity and accepted his fate of a terrible tasting cup of Joe.

"Sor-rah! It's almost time to leave!" Roxie knocked impatiently. Sora opened the door and stepped around the blond leaning against the frame, signaling that the bathroom was all hers. She smiled graciously before brushing her teeth and putting her make-up on.

Sora was standing in the kitchen trying to bare the taste of mint and coffee in his mouth when his phone went off. He scowled at the device on the counter and made sure to check the caller I.D. this time. _Tifa's calling me?_

"Sora West, CityRise Publishing." He answered the phone and cringed when Roxas swore in the background. Hopefully Tifa hadn't heard.

"West, it's Tifa." She greeted him coolly and professionally. "You're going to the hotel we were at yesterday. The band didn't want to leave the comfort of five star amenities."

"Well I sure as hell don't blame them. Thanks for letting me know!" Sora grinned into the mouth piece and he heard Tifa make a sound of disgust.

"It's seven in the morning. Don't sound so cheerful. I'll see you at eight." She ended the call and Sora set his phone back down on the counter. He sipped on his dreadful coffee once more and closed his eyes while he thought about the idea of starting the band's interviews. He could only hope that today wouldn't be the worst day of his life.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters of Kingdom Hearts, or the ideas from Kingdom hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**

**Music this chapter**

**For Your Entertainment - Adam Lambert**


	5. Chapter 5

By the time they piled into the Rusty Stallion and were on the road to the hotel, Roxie and Sora were already arguing.

"Why in the hell would I want to do that? Are you insane?" Sora sputtered at his best friend while they cruised down the city road. He quickly hit the brakes to avoid hitting a car that pulled out in front of him. Roxie flipped the guy the bird and continued her argument with her friend.

"He'll never talk to me, and you know it. He'll be more comfortable around you, though! He'll talk to you!" She tried to explain as Sora weaved in and out of cars on the street. She clung to the handle on top of the car for dear life.

"Just because Riku would be more comfortable around me doesn't mean I'd be more comfortable around him. There's no way in hell I'm doing his interviews! I'll take Axel, you can have Riku." Sora put his foot down both figuratively and literally; he slammed on the gas and sped through a yellow light so they could make it to the hotel on time.

"You're being a baby, Sora!" Roxie exclaimed while continuing to clutch the safety handle.

"Imagine if you had to sit in a room from nine to five with Blaze every day. How does that sound? Huh?" Sora spat at Roxie before realizing what he'd said.

The blonde shrunk in her seat next to him. She seemed to almost visibly coil inward and away from Sora. She lost her angry edge and adopted a frightened demeanor while she looked out of the window. The brunet mentally smacked himself before pulling over into a parking space on the side of the busy street.

"Roxie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I really didn't." He reached out to touch her shoulder but she shrugged away from him. She turned her head even further toward the window so she wouldn't have to see Sora's face.

"It's fine." She muttered softly.

"Rox, no it's not. I should have never said that. I should have never brought him up." Sora tried once more to comfort her and this time he was permitted access. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and spoke again. "What he did to you was unforgivable and I know better than to compare it to anything that has ever happened to me. I've never been through what you have, and I'm so sorry you had to go through it. You're safe now, Roxie. You don't have to hide anymore." He tried to softly coo her out of her curled up and defensive state. She tucked her legs up on the seat with her and cradled them with her arms before turning her head to face Sora.

She looked at the brunet with tears in her eyes. She eyed him up and down warily, as if he might hurt her at any second. She knew that it was stupid, of course, because Sora had always taken care of her. Whenever she got sick it was Sora who would make her soup and buy her medicine. If she got hurt he'd nurse her back to health until she couldn't even feel the pain anymore. He took her in when she was at her lowest point and helped her back on her feet. He stood behind her and gave a gentle nudge whenever she needed help moving onward. He was her rock, her savior, and her whole world. Without Sora she'd be helpless.

"I know you didn't mean it. Let's go to the hotel, okay?" She wiped away her tears and checked her make-up in the visor's mirror. She had smudged her eyeliner and frowned as she looked at her reflection. Sora opened the glove-box and handed her a tissue before smiling softly and pulling back into the road.

"I'll do Riku's interviews. Now fix your make-up so you don't look like a slob for Axel." Roxie smiled as her best friend spoke. He wasn't perfect, that was for sure, but Sora tried, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

Riku rolled over and shoved his face into Kida's warm fur. The dog whined in response; she was annoyed that her master was still asleep and wasn't awake to play with her. She clambered out of bed and walked to her water bowl, lapping it up to satisfy her thirst. She sat down afterward and looked at the bed with her head tilted. Riku's hair was dangling over the edge and she bit at it playfully, trying to get the Silveret's attention.

"Kida, I'm going to kill you if you keep that up." He swatted at the dog gently. She barked at him and whined at the bottom of the bed, forcing him to turn over and look at her. He blearily opened his eyes and was greeted by a wet nose on his face. "Oh, just what I wanted. How did you know?" He spoke to the dog sarcastically while wiping his face off with a tissue that was on a nightstand. Dogs don't understand sarcasm, though, and Kida happily jumped up onto the bed after being acknowledged.

"Riku, you have a visitor!" Larxene knocked on his door. The Silveret groaned and sat upright. Kida nuzzled her way underneath his arm, and he stroked her neck lovingly.

"Send them in!" He called back to her. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. It was eight-thirty in the morning. Who in their right mind would disturb him at such a ridiculous time? It was practically sunrise in Riku's world.

The door creaked open and Riku could hear footsteps come inside his room while he rubbed his eyes again. Kida jumped down off the bed and barked happily at whoever had entered. Riku figured it was Axel from how his dog responded. She loved that stupid red-head more than Riku himself sometimes.

"What the fuck do you want, dude?" Riku curled back up in bed and rolled onto his side, facing away from the door.

"I'm just here to do my job. I don't get paid if you don't get up, so I'd appreciate it if you could do so." Sora did his best to sound intimidating but ended up sounding like a fourth-grader.

"Shit, I thought you were Axel." Riku shot upright in bed and stared with sleepy eyes at the brunet. He was standing near the door with Kida sitting by his side, eagerly waiting to be pet or paid attention to. He was wearing a classic outfit that suited him well and made him look far more professional than the one he had been wearing the night before; Riku couldn't help but stare.

Then again, Sora was having a hard time not staring as well. Riku was sitting up in bed with just a pair of compression shorts on. The elastic waistband came up to nearly his navel, but the rest of him was scandalously uncovered and unashamed. His broad chest and defined muscles shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the open window. The brunet found it hard to tear his eyes away. Sure, he had seen Riku a thousand times on magazines and on commercials or on billboards. It was impossible not to see the Silveret wherever he went. But the sight was far different in person.

"I'm _technically_ up, aren't I?" Riku smirked and looked to his dog. "She likes you."

"I thought you didn't like dogs." Sora muttered while looking anywhere except for Riku's exposed body.

"I thought you _loved _dogs, yet you're ignoring her." Kida was still looking at the brunet expectantly. Sora shifted uncomfortably.

"I _do _love them, but I'm _supposed_ to be _working._" He made reference to the fact that Riku was still in bed and barely clothed. The Silveret chuckled.

"Fine, fine. I'll get out of bed if it makes you happy. In the mean time, though, pet my damn dog. She looks like she's going to explode if you ignore her for another second." He threw the covers off of himself and stretched after standing up.

Sora sunk to his knees and readily gave Kida the attention she was looking for. Dogs were his weakness, after all, and he couldn't get enough of her happy personality and fluffy fur. Kida couldn't keep all of his attention, though. He let his eyes wander to the Silveret stretching by his bedside out of curiosity and immediately regretted the decision.

Riku had his arms over his head extended as far as they could go while he stretched. His entire body was pulled tight and taut for Sora to inspect. His legs weren't scrawny like they used to be, his arms were ripped, and everything looked picture perfect. He was strong, fit, and gorgeous. Sora quickly looked away when Riku's gaze landed in the brunet's direction. _I don't think he saw me looking._

"Enjoying the view, West?" Riku chuckled. _Shit…_ "Don't feel bad. Everyone likes to look." Riku stated cockily before heading toward his bathroom. "Let me take a quick shower and then we can get started with whatever you want me to do?" He asked permission while leaning in the bathroom's doorway. Sora nodded his head and the Silveret closed the door behind himself.

_This room is bigger than my apartment_, Sora thought to himself as he looked around while Riku was occupied in the shower. Kida followed his every foot-step when he made his way to the bed to inspect it. Sora had never slept in a king sized bed in his life, let alone a _California_ king sized bed. He was fairly certain that if he put the hotel's bed in his own room it would take up the entire thing from wall to wall.

He walked over to the small kitchen in Riku's room and inspected the mini-fridge. Half empty bottles of booze littered the fridge, some of them not even standing upright. There was an empty bottle inside too, with a note.

_By the legal standing of this note: Dem, Marlu, and Axel owe Riku one bottle of vodka, to be repaid whenever they feel like it. Thanks, bitch!_

Sora scowled after reading the scrawl of a person who was obviously drunk when they wrote the message. He grabbed his smart phone and quickly snapped a picture of it to show Roxie later for a laugh. He then got an idea…

As fast as his little feet (and the occasional break to pet Kida) could allow he snapped pictures of the hotel room. What better to put in a biography than pictures that the public will devour greedily? He could get an inside shot at Riku's life that no one else could, and he was going to take full advantage of it.

When the Silveret entered the room (wearing nothing but a towel) he was surprised to find that Sora had seemed to relax a bit. His tie was loosened and he had taken his dress shoes off. He was rolling around on the floor with Kida, happily playing with his new furry friend. Riku leaned against the wall and chuckled to himself.

"What happened to _Mr. We-need-to-get-down-to-business_?" He asked while moving toward his closet. He made sure to walk tantalizingly slow past the brunet. A few drops of water fell on his face and Sora wiped them away with a frown. "Are we going anywhere today? Or are we staying in?" He turned and asked the man on the floor.

"We're staying in. I'll explain the agenda once you put on some clothes." Sora rolled over so that he was facing the Silveret while he talked. Kida nuzzled her way next to him so that they were both staring up at the superstar.

"And you two are going to watch while I do so?" He questioned. Sora turned bright red and sat up, facing away from the Silveret this time.

"Of course not!" He exclaimed in embarrassment.

"Calm down, West. I'm just trying to get a reaction out of you." He turned back toward his closet. "So I can dress in whatever I please?" Riku wondered out loud.

"Of course you can." Sora still kept his gaze trained away.

"Good, because I love to be—"

"_**Comfy.**_" They said it at the same time in unison. The brunet turned and locked eyes with Riku.

Ocean blue to sea foam green- One looking up, the other down. Eyes filled with everything from sleep deprivation to ecstatic jubilation. Tears had spilled out of both sets the night before and if you looked hard enough you could see the remnants of the pain that caused those tears lingering inside. They both looked away as quickly as possible.

"You remember that?" Riku smiled sheepishly and grabbed a pair of sweatpants out of the closet before slipping them on and removing his towel.

"How could I forget? My mother thought you never wore anything but pajamas." Sora laughed for a moment while remembering his strong willed and over-bearing Italian mother fretting over Riku's clothing choices. She would get so worked up about him wearing sweats to dinner, breakfast, or lunch. It seemed Riku was constantly at his house when they were younger, actually.

"How is she, anyway? Vida still going strong?" Riku asked conversationally.

"She's…" Sora began to answer but couldn't find the words. What was Riku asking about his mother for? "That's kind of a personal question. I'm here on business." Sora steered the conversation away from his family.

"Oh… I guess you're right. I'm dressed, after all. You said you had an agenda?" Riku sat down on the plush leather couch in the living area of his hotel room. Sora removed himself from the floor (much to Kida's dismay) and moved to the love-seat adjacent to where Riku was sitting. The brunet dug around in his work briefcase and pulled out a few sheets of paper. He slid one of them in Riku's direction.

"What's this?" The Silveret asked while looking the sheet over.

"It's a contract. I need you to sign it. It basically says that you're signing your life away to me for the next six months." Sora stated matter-of-factly. Riku raised an eyebrow and flipped the paper over to read the practically nonexistent fine-print. Could they even make legible sentences this small? It appeared to Riku that they had tried anyway.

"What does that entail, exactly?" He asked after setting the contract down on the coffee table. Sora sighed and leaned back into his seat.

"It's a bunch of messy legal stuff, basically, but I'll sum it up for you." He began talking. "I have six months to do all of the interviews I need for the book. In those six months my assistant and I will be asking you and your band members questions about your lives and all that jazz. Essentially I'm going to use my time to find out every single personal detail about your life so I can put it on paper and sell it for millions. Sound good?" The brunet pushed the contract toward Riku, who pushed it right back.

"That sounds awful, actually. What if I don't want the whole world to know my personal business?" He replied.

"Maybe you shouldn't have chosen to be a celebrity for a profession then, huh?" Sora snapped. He composed himself after doing so and apologized. "Look, Riku. I don't have all day, okay? If you're going to say no to this novel then you need to do it right now so I'm not wasting my time." He explained.

"I don't remember saying I wouldn't do the novel." Riku reminded him.

"But you're whining about the contract?" Sora was astonished.

"I'm whining because I don't like some of the things in this teeny-tiny fine print. I don't _want_ everyone to know the real me, West. I don't want you digging around in my past and putting it on paper because then you're going to end up writing a story about yourself." Riku shook his head and crossed his arms.

"What are you talking about?" Sora didn't understand.

"_You_ were my past, Sora, and _no one_ wants to hear that story." The two men were at a stale-mate.

* * *

"Good-morning!" Roxie chirped as she entered Axel's room. The red-head had been woken up by Larxene about fifteen minutes prior to the assistant's arrival. He turned around from the small kitchen where he was making himself a drink.

"Someone had their morning coffee, huh?" He teased the blonde as she clicked her heels across the wooden floor of the entryway.

"Nope! I hate coffee. I think it tastes like garbage." She replied happily while moving her way through the carpet on her way to the kitchen.

"You and me both, sister." Axel smiled in her direction. When she finally reached the little kitchen he handed her a glass filled with a drink. She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

"What's this?" She asked quizzically. She took a sniff and her eyes widened in surprise.

"That's red-bull and vodka, Little Miss Sunshine. Drink up." He slammed his down and exhaled quickly after drinking it all. He shook his head and left the kitchen to head to the small living-room. He motioned for the blonde to follow him.

"It's eight-thirty in the morning. A little early for a drink, don't you think?" She sipped at it gingerly.

"You were out pretty late last night. I'm sure you're highly appreciative." Axel smirked at her knowingly and sat down on the couch. He patted the cushion next to him and Roxie smoothed out her skirt before sitting down.

"So you came to the show, then? I didn't know you were gay." Roxie's eyes lit up at the mention of the cabaret. Axel laughed at her response.

"Farthest thing from gay, darling. Riku, on the other hand…" Axel trailed off and winked at her suggestively.

"So you're a straight guy who goes to gay bars. How multi-cultural." She smirked at him and took another sip of her drink. "Thank you for this. I am pretty tired."

"Don't mention it, Sunshine." He winked at her again, but this time Roxie couldn't help but feel it was a little more personal.

"We're on a nick-name basis, now, are we?" She teased him and set her drink down on the coffee table before bringing her knees onto the couch and turning her body so she was facing toward the tattooed man. He picked up on her body language and turned toward her as well.

"I figure that I'm going to be getting mighty close and personal with you for the next six months. I might as well make it fun, right?" He put his arm on the top of the couch so that his hand was close to Roxie's wig. She brushed it over her other shoulder.

"But I don't have a name for you, yet. What do other people call you?" She asked, intrigued.

"Well it depends on who you're asking about. Do you mean friends, family, _lovers,_ or fans?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I'll humor you and say lovers. I'm sure that's what you want me to ask." She picked her drink back up and took a sip while staring at the red head. She tilted her head so that she was peering underneath her eyelashes to look at him. She blinked slowly and made sure her lipstick left an imprint on the glass when she pulled away.

"Lovers, you say? Well… I could say much more than these, but I'll give you the less dramatic ones, the _humble_ ones. Names like _God,_ or _Hercules_, or even incoherent screams of pleasure. Those are just some of many, though." Axel narrowed his lids and smirked at Roxie. She snorted and grinned at him.

"Very cute, but somehow I feel as though I'll never have the pleasure of calling you any of those." She took another sip.

"Never say never, Blondie." Axel reached out and touched her wig gently. He ran a strand through his fingers and gently let go of the curl. "You have such beautiful hair." He mumbled to himself. Roxie resisted the urge to laugh and swallowed it down.

"Thank you. Do you act this way with all of the people who interview you?" She reached down for the briefcase Sora had given her and pulled out the same pieces of paper that the brunet had.

"Not particularly, no. But then again, none of them could perform like you can." He made reference to her displays at the cabaret the night before. She blushed bright red.

"I'm not all I appear to be, Mein Herr." She slid the piece of paper toward him and slipped a pen into his hand. Their faces had somehow ended up inches apart and they were leaning toward each other.

"_Mein Herr?_ What does that mean?" He asked curiously.

"It's German for 'Sir', but it also loosely translates to 'My Lord', which I figured would feed your ego well enough to be your new nickname. But only _I_ get to use it, understand? I'm a _very_ jealous girl, Mein Herr, and I don't like to share." She leaned closer so their noses were almost touching. She bit her lip while they looked at each other's eyes. Hers were dazzling with make-up to cover the fact that they looked tired beyond belief, and his looked happily well-rested, if not a little heavy from drinking.

"My Lord? I love it." He leaned in to kiss her right as she pulled out of his reach. He raised an eyebrow as she put the paper where her face used to be.

"Sign your life over to me for the next six months on this dotted line, please." She pointed to the place where he was supposed to put his pen.

"Six months with you? Sounds like heaven." He signed the paper and took a sip of her drink.

* * *

"You told me over the phone that you would do the novel. Why are you being so difficult?" Sora rubbed his temples in frustration. He and the Silveret had been arguing over the fine print of the contract for nearly an hour and they were no closer to being finished than when they started.

"I told you I'd make you a deal. I didn't say I'd do the novel." Riku defended himself and leaned back into the couch.

"Then tell me what this mysterious deal is! You know how much I need this book, Riku. You know you have me eating out of the palm of your hand. You're only being stubborn because you love watching me grovel underneath you!" Sora threw his hands up in the air and looked at the other man in anger.

"There are many things I enjoy about you, Sora, but one of them isn't watching you beg on your knees. Well, not like _this_ anyway. If you were less clothed… that'd be a _far_ different story, eh?"Riku smirked at the brunet and watched as Sora's face turned bright red with a blush.

"You sick son of a bi—" Sora stood up from the couch and reached for his briefcase, but the Silveret stood up and pushed him back down. He looked up at the taller man in astonishment.

"Sit down and shut up. You need this book and I'm willing to give it to you on two conditions. Are you going to listen to them, or no?" Riku pointed his finger at the brunet and raised his eyebrows.

Sora couldn't believe that he was taking this. He was a grown-ass adult! He couldn't be pushed around like some little kid getting picked on by a bully that was bigger than him. _Who does he think he is, towering over me because he knows I need the money? What kind of sick asshole holds that over someone to get what they want?_

He began to think about how the Silveret had been before he became famous. He had always been very stubborn, controlling, and egotistical. But those traits were things he had always worked so hard to push to the side when he was with Sora. But now that he was used to getting every single desire at the snap of a finger, it seemed those emotions could no longer be held in check.

"Fine, Ass-hat. Talk." Sora crossed his arms and looked in the other direction childishly.

"Ass-hat? That's very mature of you, Sora. I'm so flattered that you're handling this situation like an adult." Riku replied sarcastically before Sora jumped back off of the couch and got in his face.

"What do you want from me, Docken? You've been a complete nightmare this whole damn morning and quite frankly I wasn't very excited to spend the morning with you anyway. I was hoping I'd come in here, ask you my allotted list of questions, and we could both go back to pretending the other doesn't exist! But _noooooo_, you just _had_ to go and be a total jerk about everything to waste both my time and yours." Sora fumed at his ex-boyfriend and stormed around the Silveret's form in order to reach the contract.

"If this contract makes you so angry then here!" Sora ripped it in half and then in half once more, letting the paper float to the floor. "Is that better, Riku? Can you go about the rest of the day without being a total dick? I would surely appreciate it if you could!" Sora pressed his lips into a thin line and slapped his thighs before raising his hands in the air.

"Sora, calm down. You're acting crazy." Riku took a step toward him, but the brunet turned around and walked over to the kitchen instead.

"_I'm_ acting crazy? How am _I_ the crazy one? You're the one who gave me false hope by telling me you'd do the novel. I drove all the way out here, sat while you took a damn shower because you couldn't even bother to be ready by the time I showed up, and then I was willing to go through _every damn detail_ of that contract just so you could be happy. But that wasn't good enough, was it? _Nothing _I do will ever be good enough because it _never _was!" Sora didn't realize he was screaming until he found himself standing on the opposite side of the kitchen counter from the Silveret. He couldn't have bothered to care, though, because he was fueled by rage and old memories that burned a hole inside him. He whipped open the mini fridge and took one of the half-empty bottles of whiskey and unscrewed the lid. He took a swig and swallowed it down hissing. He took another. Then another one. After drinking three or four shots worth he threw it back inside and turned to face Riku once more.

The Silveret was leaning against the counter opposite form him. He still wasn't wearing a shirt and the smooth granite of the countertop contrasted with his pale skin. He had picked up the pieces of the contract and set them down in front of Sora.

"Are you done now?" He asked quietly, as if not to start the brunet on another round of temperamental fury. Sora took a deep breath and nodded his head in confirmation "Good. Can we just talk? No fighting, no arguing, no stubbornness. Just talking."

"I didn't realize you were capable of holding a civilized conversation." Sora snapped. He closed his eyes and frowned.

"I thought you said you were done." Riku looked annoyed.

"You're a giant motherfucking douche-nozzle." Sora leaned against the counter while Riku sighed in contempt. "Okay, now I'm actually done. We can talk."

"Thank you." The Silveret rearranged the contract so that the line where he was supposed to sign was back together. He took a pen from the nightstand behind him and artfully scrawled his name on the two halves of paper. Sora looked at him in confusion.

"I thought you didn't like the fine print." He raised an eyebrow.

"This obviously isn't a legal document anymore. It's ripped to hell, all thanks to you." Riku smiled softly. "But what I'm trying to explain is that I'm going to do the damn book."

"You are?" Sora lit up.

"Of course I am. I practically have to if I want to stay famous." He stated. Sora could have leapt in the air and hollered he was so happy. This book was everything he needed.

"Perfect! So when do you want to start interviews? We have so much to get through and not a whole lot of ti—" Sora was stopped from his excited rambling when Riku's hand covered his mouth.

"I have those two conditions…" He removed his hand and watched as Sora's face sunk into despair.

"What are they?" He asked half-heartedly. He hated the idea of being at Riku's mercy.

"The first one is very simple, but you're going to have a tough time agreeing to it." He began to explain. "I already told you that I don't want my personal information leaked out to the public. The masses have no business being involved in my personal life."

"Then how the hell are you going to do this book?" Sora looked skeptical.

"I'm going to make everything up." Riku stated matter-of-factly.

"…Oh, perfect! I always wanted to write a _completely bull-shit biography that millions of people will worship as truth."_ Sora's expression was one of complete and utter astonishment. He was absolute appalled by Riku's suggestion.

"No one will know it's not true. I'll memorize all the answers just in case I have them brought up in an interview. I don't want the media knowing anything about me that could be used against me. You know how they tear people like you and me apart." Sora began to realize what the Silveret was hinting at.

"I'm not going to leak that you're gay, Riku. I would never do that. I could have done it a long time ago if I wanted to." He found a teensy tiny spark of compassion for the man on the other side of the counter. He may have been furious with Riku for how their relationship ended, but Sora wasn't a monster. He knew what happened to people who were openly gay. It would destroy Riku's career a thousand times over if he leaked it to the press.

"I know you could have, and you didn't. Thank you for that. But… that brings me to the second condition." Riku locked eyes with Sora and bit his lip.

"What do you mean?" Sora couldn't figure out why the Silveret was looking at him like that. He could have sworn he saw a glimmer of something sinister in Riku's eye.

"You can imagine how oppressing it is, not being able to let anyone know who you truly are. You can imagine the pain of never truly being _open_ and _real_ with someone. You understand how suffocating it is to hide what you want and who you want it from." Riku walked from his side of the counter over to Sora's. The brunet felt himself frozen in Riku's gaze and clutched the edge of the counter for support. Why was it that his body decided to become unresponsive to him under Riku's heavy lidded eyes staring him down?

"I know the feeling…" Sora thought momentarily of how he had to shove who he was into the darkest and deepest corners of his mind around Kairi.

"So you have to understand just how _desperately_ I need someone to sympathize with me. You know just how much I _need_ someone to feel what I feel." He stopped walking a mere inch or two in front of the brunet. Sora felt his legs stuck in their place as he looked up at the Silveret.

"Riku…" He had meant it to sound like a warning. He had wanted the man in front of him to back up, stop looking at him like _that_, and leave him alone. He tried to say it in his name but when it escaped his lips it came out sounding so weak, airy, and… _needy._ The four shots he had taken from that damn bottle were catching up with him. He was nearly drunk, and his judgment was terribly clouded.

The Silveret was completely right. Sora hadn't realized just how much he longed for someone to understand what he was going though. Sure, he had the cabaret to be who he was, but then what happened after four in the morning? What was to become of him on week days? When he went to work every day? When he took a trip to the grocery store, the movie theatre, or the library? He had no one to secretly hold hands with in an empty aisle, or theatre, or reading nook. He didn't have anyone who could look at him the way Riku was and give him exactly what he wanted.

_No,_ Sora thought, _but I have Kairi and I love her. _

"If you can find it within yourself to understand those things, then you can understand why it is that I miss _you_." Riku leaned forward so that their faces were barely apart.

Sora began to panic. This was Riku. This was Riku standing in front of him. This was Riku standing in front of him completely shirtless. This was Riku standing in front of him completely shirtless about to kiss him. This was everything from his worst nightmares! Hadn't he spent so long hating this man with all of his being? Hadn't he spent sleepless nights crying over how he had left him for dead?

"Then you can understand why I miss _this…_" Riku closed the distance between them and gently kissed the brunet. He could feel Sora begin to resist his advancement so he rashly grabbed the smaller man and pressed their bodies together tightly. He wove on hand into Sora's hair to keep his head in place and the other hand roamed to the brunet's tight ass. He grabbed it forcefully and received a yelp of surprise in response. He didn't care, though. He had been agonizing over Sora's new body the whole night long. He had seen how much the brunet had changed and couldn't believe his eyes the night before. The old Sora wasn't like that. The old Sora was innocent and shy and could barely even say the word _penis_ without acquiring a blush.

But this new Sora was a whole new world of possibilities for the Silveret. He was toned, tan, and by the look of the shorts he was wearing the night before, ready for action. He was a struggling author who needed a muse and fate had decided to drop Riku in his lap for just that purpose. They had crashed together and created chaos in each other's lives until this kiss set the universe straight. In Riku's eyes, it was impossible to ignore the call from fate. It would have been a crime against nature not to use this as his chance to win Sora back.

The brunet squirmed out of Riku's grasp and jumped away from his touch. He stared at the Silveret in shock and disgust.

"What was that for?!" He blurted out. His words were slightly slurred from how much he had drank, but the blush on his cheeks and the way his breathing had picked up cued Riku in to the fact that Sora had _liked _that kiss_._

"My second condition is a contract of my own." Riku pulled a piece of paper out of his sweatpants and slid it on the counter over to the brunet. "It's simple, really. For the next six months you'll be signing your life away to me. In exchange for information, I get _you_. _All_ of you."

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters of Kingdom Hearts, or the ideas from Kingdom hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**


	6. Chapter 6

"You want me to sleep with you?" Sora blinked and stared at the Silveret in front of him. _This is some cruel joke. There's no way he's serious._

"Yes. I'll do the book if you sleep with me." Riku replied before scooting his own contract closer to the brunet. Sora looked form the piece of paper to Riku several times before shaking his head.

"You're insane." He snarled.

"I'm lonely, actually. What do you have to lose, Sora?" He asked honestly. Sora looked at him in disbelief.

What did he have to lose? _Well, my dignity for starters…_ Sora began running the idea through his head.

If he agreed to have sex with Riku in exchange for the book, he'd be a dishonest author. He wouldn't have had to work for his reputation like everyone else did. He'd be a disgrace to his publishing house, and CityRise had given him everything he had so far, no matter how little or pathetic it was.

He'd risk his entire relationship with Kairi. Sure, he was _technically_ allowed to sleep with whomever he pleased due to the agreement of their engagement. Kairi was allowed to sleep with whomever she wanted just so long as she was completely honest about it with Sora, and the same applied for him. He had never slept with anyone else even if he had the freedom to do so. Even if he had wanted to stray, he couldn't do it like this! He'd never be able to tell Kairi the truth about who he was sleeping with and under what conditions he was. He'd be lying to his fiancé and something about that didn't sit right with Sora. He figured he should start off his marriage on a bed of trust.

He also had to think about what Riku had done to him. He didn't seem sorry for what had happened between them in the past. He had completely ignored the fact, actually. When Sora entered the hotel room that morning he had expected a shitty apology along with a "Let's put it behind us and get to work, eh?" like any normal person would have. Riku, on the other hand, disregarded that the two shared a history, except to mention that they had some great sex and he wanted to do it again.

He wasn't wrong, technically. The sex had been wonderful and Sora longed for encounters like that with Kairi. It was pretty obvious as to why she was sleeping around, but Sora didn't have the heart to admit it to himself. On the outside of the relationship they were as happy as could be. When it came down to intimacy and being close, they suffered greatly. Kairi hated that kind of thing. She hated expressing her feelings past being superficially in love with the brunet for the rest of the world to adore. He was sure that she really did love him on the inside, though, and that kept him from leaving when she asked for an open relationship. They were completely and utterly sexually incompatible and Sora knew it. But who wanted to admit that the person they were going to spend the rest of their life with would never satisfy them?

The Silveret stared at him expectantly. _What does he want me to say?_ Sora thought bitterly. Of course he couldn't say yes. That would compromise his integrity and his morals. He wasn't the type of person who used his body to get what he wanted. No, that was Roxie's thing, and she was damn good at it. Sora had never been that way. He was a person of hard-work, dedication, and sticking it out even when all hope seemed lost.

So what if he was nearly broke? So what if his bills were piling up on the counter and those were only his and not Roxie's? So what if he put every extra penny he earned toward Roxie's medical bills because she was drowning in debt? So what if the car was on its last leg, the apartment was crumbling, and they lived off of left-over Chinese food. Sora would find a way to provide for them without succumbing to Riku's arrogance.

"I have everything to lose and nothing to gain." Sora finally said. He locked eyes with the Silveret and stood his ground. "After all you've done to me, you expect me to agree? You didn't even apologize, Riku. You completely skipped over the part where you left me broken and alone because _you wanted fame_. I'm not like you, Riku."

"You and I are more alike than you realize, Sora." Riku tried to step toward the brunet. His hand was outstretched to put in his hair and, even though he was drunk, Sora knew what would happen next.

Riku was gorgeous. He always had been in the brunet's mind, but now more than ever he was the definition of handsome. He'd weave his hand into Sora's hair and make him remember the millions of times he had done it while they were together. He'd press his lips on the brunet's just like he had done so many times and Sora would be lost in a sea of memories that he treasured so dearly but left him in so much pain. He'd give in to the Silveret's condition because secretly he missed the feeling of his skin and his hair and the way he used to make him feel so loved and cherished.

But this was a decade after those memories were formed. This was a whole new world and Sora wasn't going to fall back into a trap. He was stronger than that.

He moved out of the Silveret's reach and ripped the contract to shreds.

"I'll never be like you, Riku. Find someone else to do your damn book. I'm done." He grabbed his bag from the living room and stormed out of the room.

* * *

Roxie and Axel were sitting on separate couches now. The blonde had left her stilettos on but had tucked her feet underneath her while she held a clipboard on her lap. Axel made himself comfortable on the adjacent furniture by sprawling out and leaving his arms draped over the top of the couch and also the side. Roxie took the pen out from behind her ear and put a tape recorder on the coffee table in-between them. Axel raised an eyebrow.

"What's that for?" He asked curiously. He went to pick it up but Roxie swatted his hand away and playfully waggled her finger at him. He grinned and leaned back into the couch.

"I'll be writing the important parts of your answers down, of course, but this is so that I don't miss anything. I can go over the tapes later and pick up little things to throw in the books. Plus, it makes them credible. I have proof it was you giving me the answers to the questions." She explained. Axel chewed his lip thoughtfully.

"Sounds fair enough. But you'll turn it off if you're not asking me questions?" He wondered aloud.

"I can if you'd like, but I want to capture every aspect of you. This is my first book, after all. I need it to be good if I'm going to make it as an author's assistant." She cackled to herself and rolled her eyes. As if she'd ever want to do this for the rest of her life. But it was a job that would pay the bills, and Lord knows her and Sora needed the extra cash.

"Very charming. I thought a girl like you would want to be a performer." Axel mentioned.

"Well, I did a long time ago. It didn't really pan out." Roxie bit her lip and shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She could have made up a lie, but she had this nagging feeling that Axel would be able to see right through her.

"What happened?" He questioned.

"It fell through. Nothing more, nothing less." She lied anyway. There was no point in trying to explain what had happened to her to a complete stranger.

"I know you're not telling the truth but I'll drop it for now. You'll tell me someday, though." Axel winked at her and took another sip of his drink. "Let's start those questions, eh?" He nodded toward her packet of things she was required to ask. Roxie smiled pleasantly and closed her eyes, happy that Axel had given her an escape from the tension of his previous question.

"Of course! Let me see here…" She inspected the packet carefully and tried to read Sora's hastily assembled scrawl. "Where were you born?" She read aloud.

"Are all of the questions going to be this boring and stupid?" Axel mused while laughing. "I was born here in the city at St. Joe's hospital." He replied lazily.

"Okay. What are your parent's names?" Roxie rolled her eyes as she read off the paper.

"Is this guy for real? What's his name again? The author?" Axel blurted out.

"His name is Sora West and I assure you he is one of the best writers that CityRise has to offer." Roxie replied quickly, trying to cover her friend's ass. Axel snorted.

"These are kindergarten questions. No one wants to read this kind of shit. They want to know the _real_ stuff. They don't care who my parents are or what hospital I was born in. They care about how many bones I've broken from doing tricks on my motorcycle and what kind of babe is my type. I like blondes, _by the way_." Axel dropped the hint not-so-subtly. Roxie did her best to keep from laughing at his ignorance.

"Trust me; I'm not your type." She explained through a grin. Axel raised an eyebrow.

"Trust me_,_ Sunshine, you _totally_ are." The red head looked her up and down once and bit his lip in admiration.

"Trust _me, Mein Herr._ You know nothing about me. How can you say I'm your type if you have no clue who I am?" She raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"How much do you need to know about a girl to think she's good looking?" He smirked in her direction.

"You're spending too much time looking at my face and not enough time listening to my voice." Roxie tried her best to sound exasperated but, honestly, she loved the attention she was getting.

This was Axel Andrus, after all. He was voted hottest man alive more than once by the most well-read and respected magazine in the world. He had muscles any guy would kill to have and any girl would kill to touch. He had shocking green eyes that seemed to always be looking at you, no matter what angle you were staring at the magazine from. His tattoos were mysterious and his hair was fiery hot; his motorcycle was the latest model at all given times and he loved to go fast. He partied hard, played harder, and loved every minute of it. How could Roxie, someone who longed for the kind of life he lead with every fiber of her being, not be completely and utterly transfixed with the idea of Axel?

"What could you say that would change my mind? I'm not interested in personalities, Sunshine. I've seen a lot of them across the world and people bore me. Everyone is the same. They pretend to be interesting and exciting because they want to impress you, but there is nothing exceptional about them at all. Every human being I've come in contact with readily tells me all about themselves, hoping to spark an interest. They want to be the type of person I'm fascinated by. I have yet to encounter a single one to meet my expectations and I highly doubt you'll be any different." The tattooed man leaned back into his plush seat and smiled heartily at the blonde.

Roxie sat perplexed. _What do I even say to that?_ She wondered to herself. Did she even care? What did it matter to her what a complete stranger thought of her personality? He had no idea who she really was and what she had been through in her life. He was making a broad assumption based upon his life experience and, really, what was so harmful about that? He had probably met plenty of people who talked themselves up in an attempt to impress him. He had probably seen hundreds of people come into his life and leave once they got what they wanted from him. He had probably done the same to a thousand more. What was so bad about that, though? Roxie was a girl of reason, after all, and she understood that sometimes getting what you want takes a bit of schmoozing, using, and foul-play. Did she use those things often? She liked to think that she used them only in dire circumstances. Axel, though, probably used them quite a bit more often than that.

"So, if you're not interested in what I have to say, why do you keep bothering to ask me questions?" She figured if she stayed illusive and ignored his attempts to rile her up she'd have a far better chance of getting real answers out of him. She needed to do this right for Sora.

"Because what you have to say doesn't interest me as much as why you're not saying it." He replied.

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused. Hadn't he just explained that he couldn't care less what she was thinking?

"People are all the same. No one is different, Roxie, and in my experience people love to talk about themselves. If one of the most famous people on Earth shows even the tiniest bit of interest in your life, you should be jumping on the opportunity to tell your story." He shifted on the couch and leaned forward to peer at her more closely. She smiled pleasantly.

"I thought you didn't give a damn about my story." She brushed her wig over her shoulder and let the curls lay artfully on her left side.

"I honestly don't; but, that doesn't mean I don't want to hear it." Axel explained. Roxie rolled her eyes and pulled her pen out from behind her ear.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" She asked the next question on the list and watched as Axel's face settled into a smirk. She raised an eyebrow and repeated the question to him.

"You're just going to ignore me, then?" He questioned. Roxie set the clipboard down on the coffee table and composed herself before letting out a tiny giggle of frustration.

"I'm going to do my job if that's alright by you. I have questions to ask; you have questions to answer. You don't care about my life or my personality. You have a pretty girl to look at while she feeds your ego by asking you _all_ about _yourself._ That's all you need, _obviously_, since people bore you so much. Look at my face, look at my ass, and look at my killer heels if you feel the need but you don't give a shit about looking at _who _I am and I don't need to waste my time putting tinder on the flames of your childish behavior. I'm just another boring person, after all." Roxie picked her clipboard back up and took a swig of Axel's drink across the coffee table. She slammed it down and smiled at him in aggravation. "Now, for the _third _time—do you have any brothers or sisters?"

* * *

Sora sat in the Rusty Stallion and decided that he was going to just leave his tie in Riku's hotel room for the rest of its sad, lonely, and horrible existence. He felt bad leaving it there because it was a fabulous tie and it had never caused any problems for him before but there was nothing he could do about that now. The tie was in enemy territory and it was a casualty that had to be taken if Sora was going to win the war.

He checked his rear view mirror and dug around in his pocket for his cell phone. It was only about ten thirty in the morning at this point. What could he do to kill time before Roxie was done?

Sora's master plan from this step forward was to let Roxie finish Axel's interview and then break the news that they would be taken off the project. He knew it'd be easier to convince her that this was the right move if she was trapped in the car with him instead of being in front of a man she was completely obsessed with. What could he do until that point, though? He still had six or so hours until then.

He settled his mind on going and getting a real coffee since his had been ruined that morning by his stupidity. He roared the car out of the side parking lot for the hotel and onlookers gave his junker a wary glance while they retrieved their sports cars and luxury vehicles from the valet. Sora scowled to himself. He could be driving something like that if he really wanted to.

_No,_ he scolded himself. _You're better than that, Sora. You don't need to stoop that low just for some cash. No matter how much it is… No matter how much better life would be… No matter if you desperately need it…_

He shook his head and tried to clear his mind. He had come to his decision. He made his choice. There was no going back for him. That much was very clear.

"Hello, Sora!" Selphie greeted him cheerfully from her desk in the lobby of CityRise. She did a double take as the brunet walked past and quickly darted from her office chair to grab Sora's arm.

"Yes?" He asked tiredly.

"What on Earth are you doing here? Tifa's been bragging to everyone about your new project and how successful it's going to be!" Selphie explained quickly while hiding Sora behind her desk so no one else could see him. They crouched underneath the safety of the wood and whispered to each other.

"It fell through, Selph. I have to talk to Tifa about it. But, first, I'm getting a damn cup of coffee." Sora replied before going to stand up. Selphie yanked him back down until he was physically sitting on the ground like a child in school, waiting for the teacher to talk.

"Sora, if you cancel this project Tifa's going to fire you! You haven't written anything in over a year!" Selphie scolded the brunet and waggled her finger at him menacingly. Sora rolled his eyes.

"Of course she is. She threatens that every time I fail a writing project." He yawned.

"Not all of your writing projects are estimated to bring eight hundred _million _dollars into the company's pocket!" Selphie grabbed a spreadsheet off of her desk and shoved it in Sora's face. He took it off of his nose and peered at the paper.

_Holy shit…_ Sora couldn't believe what he was reading. The book was going to sell for thirty dollars a pop. There were already a total of half a million pre-sales and counting. The band's efforts (such as their CD's, new music, photo-shoots, and other propaganda) were selling like wild-fire and the publishing company received a portion of the profits. They were raking in the dough at an exponential rate.

Sora's cut alone, once the book was done, was eight million dollars. Roxie's would be two million.

"You _can't_ quit this project, Sora! This is your big break! This is going to make all of us, _and you, _completely and utterly stinking rich!" Selphie exclaimed with joy. Sora still stared dumbfounded at the piece of paper.

Was eight million dollars worth it?

"I'm sorry, Selph, but I need to talk to Tifa. I can't do it." Sora felt his mouth go dry. He knew that he couldn't lie to himself and who he was just for money. He could live without riches; he had been doing it all his life. He could scrape by on the bottom of the totem pole if it meant he didn't compromise his integrity. There wasn't a lot that Sora stood up for but his morals and his beliefs were one of the few things he could stand by.

"You're serious?" Selphie was astonished.

"I am." Sora closed his eyes and made his final decision.

"Then you're neurotic." Selphie sighed and sat in her office chair. She checked her computer and smiled. "Tifa's in meetings all day today, excitedly telling the entire company how much money you're going to be making, or _not_." She stated. "You can't possibly tell her today. Take the night to think about it, okay? It's a really big deal to this place and to you." She reminded him gently.

"Selphie, you make me want to scream sometimes." He rubbed his eyes while sitting on the floor and slowly stood to his feet.

"I wouldn't be doing my job as secretary and official office gossip if I didn't." She smiled cheerfully and shooed him on his way to the break-room for some coffee.

He took a sip of his freshly brewed cup from the office Keurig machine. Dark roast black coffee. He was in absolute heaven as he strolled past Selphie's desk and back to the Rusty Stallion. That cup of coffee and getting to play with Kida were easily the best parts of Sora's day thus far. But why did Riku have a dog? Riku _hated_ dogs. Sora had always been the one who loved them and wanted one more than anything on Earth. His apartment didn't allow them and his family's dog had died many years ago. Since all the kids were out of the house his parents had never bothered to get a new one. Kida was a wonderful animal but she was out of Riku's norm. She seemed intelligent, playful, young, and keen on attention. She was all the things Riku hated in a dog yet he seemed very affectionate toward her. Could it really be that the Silveret was changing and Sora just couldn't see it?

No. It was impossible. People like Riku didn't change for the _better_. People like him get famous and start getting everything they want handed to them. They start seeing people as a means to an end and not human beings. They let the attention and the publicity and the money get to their head and make them into a new person. Riku couldn't possibly have been turned into a _better_ one from all that, could he?

Sora stopped his mind from wandering as he pulled into the parking lot of the Cabaret. He figured that if he was going to be out of work for the day he may as well be doing something productive for his other job. He'd help Cloud and Leon set up for the night, take stock of the liquor, and organize costumes. It wasn't his favorite thing to do, but it would help make up for the pay he was going to lose by refusing Riku's interviews.

"Hello? Anybody home?" Sora used his key for the door to get inside. He knew that Leon and Cloud were around somewhere because he had parked next to them in the lot. He scratched his head and called out for them once more. Upon getting no response Sora began to check the dressing rooms, the bar, and the lower dining area. He made his way upstairs to the private booths and the little section where Cloud and Leon kept their office for professional affairs and business needs. He made it ten feet from the door when he heard a voice he didn't recognize. He thought about turning back and waiting until his friends were done talking to whomever was in their office but his curiosity got the better of him. He snuck his way near the door and stood as close as he could in order to eavesdrop.

"How can you reasonably expect us to come up with that?" Leon exclaimed in disbelief. Sora bit his lip and listened in.

"I don't care how you get the money, Mr. Leonhart. All I care about is that _I _get the money." The man stated matter-of-factly.

"This will bankrupt us!" Cloud cried out, obviously less composed than his boyfriend. "We'll have to close down." He whimpered.

"Mr. Strife that's not any of my concern. I have a business to run and I can't be bothered with fruitless exploits such as this Cabaret. Either you two come up with the money or it closes down. That's capitalism for you, boys. Those who can't make a profit will crumble to those who can." He began stepping out of the room and Sora dove for a private booth to avoid being seen.

"This has nothing to do with profits and everything to do with the fact that you're a rotten son of a bi—" Leon covered up Cloud's mouth before he could spew out profanities at the man leaving the doorway. He walked down the stairs and clearly left the building before Sora emerged from the private booth and dared stick his head in the office door.

Cloud was in shambles. He was sobbing uncontrollably while Leon tried his best to console him but it was obvious that the brunet wasn't in much better shape. He looked up at Sora helplessly and sighed.

"How much did you hear?" He asked, readily knowing how the smaller man never could keep his nose out of other people's business.

"Why does he want money from you? Who was that guy?" Sora asked while grabbing a tissue off of the desk the two men shared. He handed one to Leon and one to Cloud, then changed his mind and grabbed the whole box. The blond was in sorry shape.

"What guy? The nasty bastard that just left?" Cloud asked sarcastically and blew his nose. Leon cringed and rubbed his back lovingly.

"Excuse him, he's upset." He apologized on his boyfriend's behalf.

"Upset? _Upset? _I'm furious! I'm devastated! We put our whole lives into this place and we're going to lose it just because we weren't careful enough!" Cloud cried out before burying his head into his knees.

"What does he mean?" Sora questioned Leon. The larger man ran a hand through his hair and started the story.

"We fucked up. It was completely unintentional, and we didn't know this would happen. We were going over some files and some checks we had to send out when we started messing around. Things got heated and…" Leon started.

"And our fucking _lessor_ came in for the first time in all the years we've rented this place from him." Cloud spat out while wiping his eyes.

"Oh my god, he didn't see you guys…?" Sora's voice fell when Leon's face confirmed his worst thoughts. "Holy shit. That's bad. That's really bad!" Sora exclaimed, suddenly understanding the gravity of the situation.

"He began ranting and raving about _'_what kind of establishment _our type of people_ could be capable of running' and immediately tried to kick us off the property. Leon managed to stay calm enough to talk him out of it, but only if we come up with some serious money." Cloud explained through softer tears. Sora sat down on the floor next to him and held his hand in support.

"He's blackmailing you because you're gay?" Sora was appalled. He knew that homosexuality was looked down on, but _this_ badly? Badly enough to ruin two peoples' lives?

"It was so stupid of me! This is all my fault and now we're going to lose the Cabaret!" Cloud blubbered once more and sunk into Leon's chest. His lover ran a hand through his blond hair and whispered soothingly to him, trying to calm him as best he could.

"How much?" Sora closed his eyes and bit his lip.

"Five million. Five _fucking_ million dollars. It's impossible for us to come up with even a tenth of that for him. We pay the bills and have enough left over for Cloud and I to live. We don't make that kind of money. We wouldn't make that kind of money even if we charged fifty bucks a person each night. It's over." Leon accepted their defeat as Cloud let out another explosive sob in his chest.

Sora struggled to watch as his friends came apart in front of him. He was always _miserably_ careful about his sexuality. Roxie always teased him about how careful he was. Then she started getting the shit kicked out of her whenever someone discovered she wasn't really a girl. People couldn't hit a girl, but they sure as hell loved to hit a guy in girl's clothes.

He was extremely cautious for this reason. He would _never _let it slip that he liked men because his entire life would be over in an instant like theirs. Cloud and Leon would lose their Cabaret, their little money, and their entire life's passion. They would have their world stripped away from them for a chaste kiss in the office when they thought no one was looking. Well, _thinking_ no one is watching isn't good enough. You have to be _sure_.

"Five million dollars? That's…" Sora stopped talking once his mouth caught up to the thoughts running through his head.

Five million. Five million…

"When?" He asked.

"What?" Leon replied.

"When do you need the money by?" Sora asked hurriedly.

"He gave us till the end of the year to come up with something." Cloud sniffled.

"That's nine months from now..." The cogs in Sora's head finally caught together and began turning. The rest of his body started to move as he rapidly stood to his feet. "I'll be right back!" He darted from the room and into a private booth. He sunk into the seat and exhaled loudly, hoping he was making the right choice.

The phone rang three times before someone picked up.

"You left your tie." The Silveret sounded amused as he spoke.

"Riku… I changed my mind. When do we start?" Sora winced as he spoke the words.

"Tonight." Sora could hear his smirk before the rock star hung up the phone.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters of Kingdom Hearts, or the ideas from Kingdom hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**


	7. Chapter 7

Roxie hung in the doorway of Axel's hotel room, spinning one of her heels in her hand and looking up at the red-head, grinning. The two had spent the last five minutes or so trying to say goodbye without much progress. He had just finished telling her an animated story about how their personal manager had chased him around the hotel room with a pair of her heels, throwing them freely and with deadly accuracy. The blonde then took her shoe off and raised an eyebrow at the red-head. They ran fluidly around Axel's room for a moment before he got himself caught in the doorway. Now they both were leaning against the wood trying to stop their fit of giggles.

"I bet your boss is done by now." Axel spoke through a contagious smile.

"I'd hardly call him my boss." Roxie rolled her eyes and then tried to cover up the fact that she had thrown her best friend under the bus. "He's far too great of a mentor to be considered a boss."

"You know him outside of your two jobs?" Axel asked curiously.

"I thought you didn't care about my personal life." Roxie reminded him with a small laugh.

"I still don't, but allow me to ask a thing or two without questioning my motives, eh?" He requested. Roxie shrugged and figured he deserved a question or two for the thousands she had asked him in the day's time.

"Fine, Mien Herr. One or two questions a day, that's it." She rolled her eyes. "He's my best friend."

"Best friend? And your boss? That seems risky." Axel mentioned while shifting his weight in the doorway.

"It's not. Sora and I are different from your average friends." She replied casually, as if it was a common known fact for the world's population.

"Ohhhh, so you guys fuck, then?" Axel asked, thinking he understood what she meant.

Roxie looked at him for a moment before dropping her jaw in astonishment. Her face quickly changed from astounded to hysterical as she broke out into a fit of laughter, tilting her head back against the door frame and cackling.

It was then that Axel noticed she had a really rich laugh. It wasn't light and airy like most of the women he had come across. It was… darker, warmer, and fluid. It rolled out of her like water poured out of a pitcher, or a wave lulled in the ocean. She had the kind of laugh that you wanted to take with you and play whenever you felt as if life was giving you a blow you couldn't take. There was only one problem with her laugh, Axel thought, and that was the strangest thing about it.

It sounded… almost _manly_.

"No, goodness _no!_ Sora and I don't sleep together. He's far from my type." Roxie sputtered through tiny giggles. Axel watched as her face turned pink from her laughter and her smile nearly ripped her face in two it was so big and effortless. She had a gorgeous smile, that was for sure, but it seemed to blend into perfection when it wasn't forced.

"What is your type, then?" He leaned forward in the doorway so that there were mere inches between them. Roxie bit her lip while looking upward at the red-head towering over her.

"I think that's enough questions for today…" She muttered before turning her head to the side so she wouldn't have to look so intimately at his face. He was such a handsome man.

"You won't answer one more?" He pestered her, trying to squeeze her thoughts out of her. She shook her head and leaned deeper into the doorway, pouting.

"On one condition…" She looked him dead in the eye and froze his gaze. He reached a hand out to put in her hair but she caught it just a quickly, weaving her fingers into his to distract him.

"Oh?" He asked, his pupils dilated and his breathing picking up. Roxie knew where this would lead if she didn't get a hold of herself.

"Come to the show tonight." She pulled out from under the doorway and dug in her bag for a moment. She turned around and handed him a mask she had pulled out. "Wear a black hoodie and this mask." She urged him. He smiled in confusion and looked at her as if she sprouted two heads.

"Is there a reason I have to do this?" He wondered aloud. She nodded her head and picked up all of her things, putting her high heel back on.

"Yes." She moved to leave the room when Axel went after her.

"Wait, you didn't answer my question!" He called before turning her around to face him. She smirked at him before raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, I did. You asked me if there was a reason for you to do all this. I said yes. That's one question, one answer." Roxie explained before moving to leave again.

"That's not fair! That wasn't the question I wanted!" Axel exclaimed, though in good humor.

"Well, Mein Herr, that's not my problem. If you'd have cared to divulge into my personality at all you'd realize that I'm not a girl who always plays fair. I play to _win_." She winked at him and turned on her heel.

"And what exactly are you winning from me?" Axel questioned. She shook her head and Axel watched as her blonde curls shook on the back of her head. Her hair was exquisite.

"If I told you what we were playing for, then I'd be playing _fair. _Weren't you listening to me when I told you I don't do that?" She kept walking away.

"Not really, no. But your ass looks _great _in those heels and that skirt." Axel smirked to himself as the blonde continued to walk away, and he was correct in assuming there was a rosy twinge to her cheeks.

* * *

"So how was your day?" Roxie cheerfully asked Sora as she clambered into the Rusty Stallion. He looked at her with surprise.

"It was fine. Yours seemed nice. Did you sleep with him?" Sora asked while pulling out of the hotel parking lot. Roxie laughed.

"He's straight, Sor-rah. Of course I didn't sleep with him." She twirled her wig in-between her fingers and put her feet up on the dash.

"Could you please not do that? You know how much I hate it." Sora whined and swatted at her legs. She sighed and complied with his ridiculous demands. "Thank you. You knew he was straight before and that didn't seem to stop you from wanting to jump him." Sora mentioned.

"Well of course it didn't. My God, spending the day trapped in a room with that hottie… I'm surprised I didn't pass out from excitement." She fanned herself and practically drooled.

"But he made a pass at you, didn't he? Otherwise you wouldn't be so cheery." Sora questioned.

"Well _duh_ he made a pass at me. I mean, _look_ at me!" Roxie motioned her hands up and down her body. Sora rolled his eyes.

"I'm just so glad that you're modest, Rox." He replied sarcastically.

"Who needs modesty when you know you look good?" She cackled before turning up the radio. She sang along loudly to the country hit playing before Sora turned it to another station.

"You know I hate country." He frowned at her and she smiled back lovingly.

"Whoops! I must have completely forgotten!" She faked innocence and started hitting the dashboard as if it were a drum set when a she recognized the song on the new station.

**Oh, you gonna take me home tonight! Oh, down beside that red fire light. Oh, you gonna let it all hang out; Fat bottomed girls you make the rocking world go round! Fat bottomed girls you make the rocking world go round! **

"Isn't he just dreamy?" Roxie affectionately stroked the car radio as if it were Axel himself as his voice came out of the speakers.

"Of course, _everyone_ loves a _womanizer_. Did you even listen to what he was singing?" Sora asked.

"Duh. He's a true artist." Roxie smiled warmly and clasped her hands near her heart.

"I think I may have to euthanize you for the good of the human race." Sora shook his head and pulled into their parking spot for the apartment. Roxie dashed out of the car and up the stairs before Sora had even taken off his sunglasses and seatbelt.

"I call bathroom!" She cried out as she raced inside the building. Sora smiled to himself and locked up the car before following the blonde at a much slower pace. He wasn't in any rush.

His cell phone rang and he remembered to check the caller ID this time before answering it. Kairi, as usual.

"Hello?" He spoke into the mouthpiece while unlocking the apartment door.

"Hey, Sora. What's up?" She asked over the line.

"You're the one who called me, Kai." He smiled into the phone.

"I guess I was just checking up on our date Sunday. You didn't make other plans, did you?" She tried her best to sound pleasant but Sora knew that if he were to say he forgot about their breakfast date she would blow her top and chew his head off through the mouthpiece.

"I didn't forget, Kairi. Sunday, ten in the morning, your place. I'll be there." He repeated the information to her to make sure she knew that he remembered.

"Okay, great! What are you doing tonight?" She asked.

Sora hated this question. He hated having to lie to her but it was for the greater good of their upcoming marriage. If she had any idea what he truly did on the weekends she'd be horrified. She'd never look at him the same way again, and Sora would lose her. He'd be utterly and totally alone.

"Dinner at my parent's house." Sora effortlessly lied.

"Again? You were just there last night!" She cried out.

"My sister had another baby a month ago. I have to help watch him." Sora explained. He was only half lying this time. His sister _did_ have another baby.

"You have a sister?" Kairi sounded perplexed.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them. Kairi didn't dare speak until Sora said something and Sora had no idea what to say. Did she really not know? They had been together for six years. Six years and she didn't know he had a sister? Let alone two of them?

"What?" He sounded equally as confused as she did when he finally responded.

"I thought you were an only child and that's why you spend so much time with your parents…" Kairi replied, explaining her reasoning. Sora could have laughed if he didn't feel so uncomfortable. He wished the phone would have a bit of static or interception so that there wouldn't be such deafening silence between them.

"I have two sisters, Aerith and Olette. I'm the oldest, Aerith is after me, and Olette is the youngest." Sora stated.

"Oh… and to think I never knew. Funny, huh?" Kairi let out a small laugh and continued talking to Sora about things he couldn't have cared less about. He tried desperately to ignore the horrible feeling that was growing in the pit of his stomach and listen to her; his efforts were in vain. He felt positively rotten inside. "You okay?" She finally asked; realizing that Sora's mood has nose dived.

"Of course, snuggle bug. I'll call you later. Traffic." He gave a half-assed excuse and hung up the phone before she finished saying _I love you_.

He couldn't explain how he had made it inside the apartment or how he had gotten into the fridge already, yet there he was, pouring himself a glass of water from the container on the third shelf. He grabbed an apple from the produce drawer and closed the door, turning mechanically and rinsing it in the sink. He bit into it and quickly spit the food out of his mouth. Rotten through. Figured.

"Yuck." Roxas mentioned as he walked past Sora. He was towel drying his face after washing his make-up off.

"Yeah…" Sora dropped the apple in the waste bin and silently moved his way into the bathroom. He locked the door behind himself and slid against the wooden slab, collapsing slowly into a pile of limbs on the ground.

_She had no idea…_ Sora couldn't get it out of his head. How could she _truly_ not have known? To forget something about your lover is one thing, sure, but to be completely ignorant to a major fact about their life? He didn't want to think about it any longer. The terrible feeling in his stomach was making him feel nauseous and he didn't want to throw up before going to work for the night. He got up and looked at himself in the mirror.

If it weren't for the fact that he was tired beyond belief and it showed in the bags under his eyes, Sora looked completely normal. His unruly, spiked hair was still standing on end, his eyes were still Caribbean blue, and his complexion was still sun-kissed and tan. He looked no different than any other day of his seemingly average life; but, inside something _felt_ different.

He carefully and slowly touched his lips while watching himself in the mirror. He had kissed people before. He was engaged, after all. Of course he had kissed people. He kissed Kairi all the time! But this kiss… the one he accidentally shared with Riku… it left its mark upon him. He could feel the phantom lips lingering over his own and he could feel the electricity running through his veins from the encounter. He had _liked_ that kiss. He had liked it far more than he anticipated and it made him nervous.

Yet, it also made him _excited_.

It had been years since he had felt something like that while being intimate with someone. He had almost forgotten how it felt to want someone like that, though he was ashamed that it was Riku he wanted so badly. There was nothing he could do about it now, however, and he _did _have a meeting with the Silveret later that night in which he would be required to do a lot more than kiss him.

_Am I ready for this?_ Sora stared at his own eyes and tried to find an answer from the image of himself in the glass. He hadn't been with anyone but Riku and Kairi in his whole life, so he wasn't very sexually experienced beside what he had performed with them. The sex life between him and his fiancé was a little lack-luster, truth be told, but he could accomplish what he needed to do for the both of them to be moderately satisfied. Beside, Kairi got her real kicks form random strangers that Sora had never met before.

The brunet picked up his phone off of the bathroom counter and quickly pressed the number two and then the call button. His first speed-dial was Roxie.

"Hello?" Kairi sounded confused as she answered his call. Sora cut to the chase.

"What's his name?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Kairi sounded even more perplexed.

"The guy you're going to sleep with tonight. What's his name?" Sora's voice was brisk and hurried.

"Mark. Why?" Kairi wondered.

"Just wondering. Love you, bye." He hung up the phone and bit his lip.

Mark. _Mark._ Mark.

He repeated it as a mantra in his head while he jumped in the shower to get ready for his night with Riku.

Mark. _Riku. Mark._ Kairi. Sora. _Mark. __**Riku.**_

For a split second Sora wondered how in the hell his life got to this point. Then he washed the thought down the drain.

* * *

"That's what you're wearing?" Riku looked Axel up and down and shook his head in disgust.

"It's not my first choice, but I promised Roxie I'd wear it tonight to the show." He sighed and looked at his outfit. He couldn't remember the last time he wore a _hoodie_.

"And is there any reason in particular that you're listening to an author's assistant?" Riku chuckled while dressing himself. The two rock stars were in Riku's hotel room killing time before the show started.

"I'm not really sure quite yet. She's my type, you know?" Axel shrugged his shoulders as he pet Kida.

"Blonde, pretty face, and a great ass?" Riku questioned aloud.

"That's the one." Axel sighed heavily and shook his head. "She's something else."

"No, she's not. She's exactly like every other woman you get bored of after a night of sex." Riku rolled his eyes.

"What's so bad about that? At least I _have_ sex, Mr. ten-year-dry-spell." Axel cackled.

"Well, not after tonight…" Riku muttered to himself and smiled in the mirror. He took one look at his outfit and let his grin grow. He was ready.

* * *

Axel didn't really know what to expect when he arrived at the Cabaret, but he sure as hell didn't expect what happened to them. Sora was waiting by the door and readily grabbed Riku by the arm and dragged him away to the bar. The Silveret looked over his shoulder, confused and surprised, trying to mouth something to his best friend. Axel couldn't make out the words, though, and quickly gave up with trying to save his band-mate. He stood awkwardly in the entryway of the Cabaret as people came inside around him, dressed far differently than the night before.

Everyone was wearing either club dresses or clothing they could breathe in. The night before had seemed much more formal, but tonight was far less that way. The air the Cabaret was giving off seemed relaxed, enjoyable, and intimate. Axel was still trying to soak it all in when Sora came back and pulled him to the bottom floor tables. Or, rather, where the tables used to be.

Underneath all of the seating that had been arranged the night before there was what appeared to be a large dance floor. It was currently free of sticky drinks and food that it would later be splattered with and that Sora would have the immense pleasure of cleaning up, so it seemed to shimmer in the dim lighting above.

"Stay here. Don't move." Sora placed Axel in the middle of the dance-floor where there was a small opening in-between people chatting aimlessly.

"What's going on?" Axel asked curiously. He was utterly and hopelessly dumbfounded.

"Put your hood up and just go along with it." Sora smiled softly at him, sympathetic for his confusion. He knew just how dazing it could be when Roxie set her mind to something like this.

"Just go along with it? What does that even mean?" He eyed Sora suspiciously. The brunet was still scantily clad in his outfit from the night before. Just some tight spandex shorts that barely covered enough.

"It means exactly what it implies. Things will happen to you. Just go along with them. Don't resist." Sora rolled his eyes and left the dance-floor. Axel was totally alone in a sea of people and had no idea what was going to happen.

* * *

Riku sat at the bar with his arms crossed over the counter. He looked around at his surroundings and decided that, given other circumstances, he'd still have come to the Cabaret even if it wasn't for Leon, Cloud, or Sora's affiliation. There was something about the night-club/theatre aura the place gave off that Riku liked. It had a lot of the same feel his old bars he used to perform at had. He thought back fondly to the days when he could see Sora's spikes sitting in the front of the audience, happily supporting him even though his efforts seemed futile. They never really thought he'd make it big.

"What can I get you?" Sora asked him as he came back around the other side of the counter.

"Where did you take Axel?" Riku asked in good humor. Sora laughed and smiled at his Silver haired patron.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll see when the show starts. We have only about a minute or so left." He replied casually while pulling out assorted drinks.

"I thought you were a call-boy?" Riku mentioned.

"I'd kill myself if I was a call-boy. I'm a bartender. I was filling in because Leon needed a favor and I can't say no to that man." Sora sighed and shook his head. "But then the bartender he had lined up also bailed on him, so now I get to do both!" He smiled cheekily and pretended he was ecstatic to do so.

"You seem thrilled." Riku smirked.

"What can I get you, for real?" Sora asked while sliding a glass in Riku's direction. "Leon and Cloud told me all your drinks are free, which I find to be silly, because it's not like you couldn't pay for them anyway." Sora began pouring scotch into a glass over ice. He then took a swig and gulped air as he slammed the glass down on the table.

"You're drinking on the job?" Riku questioned.

"Don't act so innocent. I'm sure you're drunk on the job all the time." Sora laughed.

"That might be so…" Riku pretended to be embarrassed as he watched the brunet in front of him loosen up.

"I think you may be understating that just a bit, Mr. Docken." He served someone else a drink and replied to the Silveret when he came back.

"You're like a whole different person than the one you were this morning." Riku didn't realize he was making the remark until it escaped his lips. He had meant for it to be a secret train of thought.

"Sora West of CityRise Publishing is a whole different person. He's who I want to be." The brunet replied.

"And yet?" Riku motioned to the Cabaret surrounding him. Sora sighed.

"Life doesn't always end up how you thought it was going to. I thought I was going home alone tonight just a few hours ago. Things change so quickly." He reminded the man in front of him. Riku smirked as Sora took another swig of scotch.

* * *

Roxie came down from the ceiling. Axel hadn't noticed it was happening until the lights dimmed to blackness and a lone spot shone on the glittering woman.

She looked like the moon. Her light blonde hair was pulled artfully behind her head into a delicate and elaborate bun that had little curls peaking through here and there. Her make-up was impeccable and her eyes seemed to glow alive with their heavy mascara, liner, and shimmering white shadow. Her lips, though, were red as blood and seemed just as wet.

She was slowly being lowered to the ground as gentle piano music and flutes fluttered in the background. She looked over the crowd on the dance-floor before smiling softly and opening those red lips.

"**My days are brighter than morning air-Evergreen pine and autumn blue. But all my days are twice as fair, if I could share, my days with you." **She crooned. Axel could feel his mouth drop open and had to close it again before anyone else saw how stupid he looked. He just couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was this the same girl he had been laughing with and hitting on this morning? This woman's voice was soft, sweet, gentle. It had the caressing sound that artists strived for in their ballads. She sounded like she was in love with every person in the room; Axel couldn't help but wish he could harness the ability to sing like that.

"**My nights are warmer than firecoals- Incense and stars and smoke bamboo. But nights were warm beyond compare, if I could share, my nights with you"** Roxie gracefully landed on the ground and slid off of her bar she had been sitting on. It slowly worked its way back into the rigging above them as she walked her way down the stage and toward the giant dance-floor of people. Her silver dress sparkled vividly as she walked in the lone spotlight. The rest of the floor remained dark.

"**To dance in my dreams… To shine when I need the sun! With you-To hold me when dreams are done." **She made it to the edge of the stage and jumped off, causing a moment of panic for Axel. She was quickly caught by a man dressed identically like the red-head, though, and carried high above his head into the throng on people. The crowd, seemingly aware of how this dance was going to work, moved out of the way for the performers and made a large circle to watch the show. Axel, however, remembered how he had been told not to move and stayed put where he was in the middle of the dance-floor.

"**And oh... My dearest love, if you will take my love, then all my dreams are truly begun."** Roxie began getting passed back and forth between various male performers. They carried her over their heads, gently tossed her through the air, letting her spin and fly before catching her and repeating the process, or twirling her around them without ever letting her touch the ground. Axel was amazed by how in sync all of them were, especially Roxie. One wrong move from her and she'd fall flat on her face.

"**And time weaves ribbons of memory to sweeten life when youth is through. But I would need no memories there, if I could share, my life with **_**you**_**." **The male dancers, who were _all_ dressed exactly as Axel was, mask and everything, finally let Roxie down on the ground. She picked up her heels purposefully and began walking her way toward Axel, eyes glued to his own.

_Don't move. Go with it. Stay still._ He told himself over and over as she sang her way toward him. He realized she had done this on purpose. He was just another performer to the people in the crowd. She made it within a foot of him at the words _"with you"_ and let her hand softly caress his face. She trailed her hand from his face down his neck, chest, and then his side. She promptly moved her hand to his, grabbing his fingers and lacing hers with his.

Axel felt the world go still as twinkling flutes, wind chimes, pianos, and violins played music for show. Roxie had stopped singing and it was clear she wouldn't start again from the last few notes she sang. It was just her and Axel, standing pressed together, hand entwined, staring at each other's faces. The red-head felt himself be paralyzed for a mere second while Roxie leaned forward.

Twinkling, gentle music suddenly began to fade as she bit her ruby red lip. The last note the musicians played hung in the air unresolved as the lights that had been on the pair turned off.

It was there, in the comfort of darkness, that Roxie kissed him for the first time.

* * *

"Did the music stop?" Riku wondered aloud. Sora hushed him and pointed to where the lights had just gone out.

"Watch!" He gleefully turned the Silveret's head and hopped around to the other side of the counter to sit next to him.

"**Zoom… Zoom… Zoom… Zoom"**

In time with each vocal outburst from the performers a strobe light sent a pulse into the crowd. In those few seconds of light Riku could see Roxie and Axel standing dangerously close together. He raised an eyebrow and looked to Sora.

"Wait!" The brunet cried out excitedly in a whisper.

The silence broke and music blasted into the dance-floor. It wasn't the kind of music Riku expected, though. The Silveret had no idea how to explain what he was listening to. He had no idea how to explain what he was watching, either.

The band switched their instruments to a basic guitar melody and brass instruments. The tune was melodic and tribal. The performers provided a lot of the music sounds themselves by whistling in time with one another, making other animalistic noises, and dancing around wildly. Maracas happily created a beat behind their antics.

They all grabbed on to each other's shoulders and dipped low to the ground, making a steadily more intense "Aaaaah" sound that traveled through the entire dance-floor. They Flailed their arms freely afterward and jumped around, only becoming in sync with one another on specific points in their dance. Eventually the instrumentals became more intense as they loosely danced into a new position.

* * *

Axel stared in awe as the performers turned into animals around him. They all suddenly became the exact opposite of their performance seconds before. They were no longer gentle, loving, soft creatures. They were now care-free, spirited, and playful little monsters. Roxie ripped off part of her sparkly dress to reveal tiger striped cloth underneath. She winked at the red-head before prancing away to go frolic with the rest of the performers. Axel remained where he was, unable to think, let alone move.

Just as he began getting used to the mini-rave that was happening all around him, the music shifted and changed. A few taps of the cymbal and suddenly there was a heart-stopped crack of a whip darting through the dance-floor. The rest of the performers dropped to the ground as Roxie ripped off yet another layer of clothing. Underneath her jungle attire she was hiding a black leather corset with booty shorts to match. She cracked the whip again as the saxophones in the background began playing dramatically in time with her advancements toward Axel. She let the whip trail behind her as she strut toward the red head, a new guitar solo blaring through-out the dance floor.

The music picked up as Axel backed away from her. He didn't know why he was doing it, he couldn't find an explanation for his actions, but something inside of him told him he needed to get away from this woman as fast as he could. He had no true escape, though, and kept backing away slowly in a circle as she practically stalked him with her whip in tow.

The guitar and the drums suddenly seemed to be having an all-out duel on who could play more louder, faster, and better. The trumpets and saxophones, along with an urgent blaring of the flute, came together just as Roxie finally made her way to Axel. He stumbled backward onto the ground as she used her heel to press his chest to the floor. All of the instruments played a final note right as the blonde dipped her way to the ground and ended up straddling Axel. The lights went out again as people cheered for the performance.

"You asked me what my type was this afternoon, Mien Herr, and I owe you an answer…" Roxie whispered in Axel's ear as the two of them remained on the floor in the throng of people. The pitch black dance-floor concealed them perfectly.

"Well?" Axel wheezed; his breathing was heavy as Roxie straddled him.

"Take your best guess." She chuckled deeply and bit his earlobe just gently enough to graze it with her teeth. Axel hissed as the blonde jumped up from his lap and joined the massive party going on around them. He lost her in the crowd and swore under his breath.

* * *

"You're drunk. You don't need any more." Sora swiped a drink from another person sitting at the bar while Riku watched him. The night was still young and he had a lot of drinking left to do while sitting on a stool and staring at the brunet. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes off of the smaller man.

"Why are you looking at me?" Sora questioned before sliding Riku another drink. He rested his elbows on the counter-top and placed his chin in his hands a foot from the Silveret's face.

"Because I think you look great in that outfit." Riku tried to sound casual. Sora blushed.

"Oh… thank you." He bit his lip sheepishly.

"I think those shorts will look better on my floor, though…" Riku did his best to sound even more casual as he took a sip of his new drink. Sora rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Oh, do you, now?" He shook his head in amusement and poured someone else a drink. After serving the woman he resumed his position by Riku.

"Can you tell me something?" The Silveret asked while tracing his finger on the outside of his glass.

"I can tell you a lot, but who knows if it's what you want to hear." Sora replied sarcastically. Riku frowned.

"You knew what I meant." He resisted the urge to smile at Sora's stupid joke.

"Okay, okay. Shoot." Sora looked around for other people who were ready to order and saw none. He pulled a stool up to the counter and sat on the opposite side as Riku.

"Why are you treating me so differently? This morning you were fighting tooth and nail just to get out of my room." Riku's curiosity got the best of him.

"I'm sorry for what happened this morning. I got two hours of sleep, it had been ten years since we properly interacted, and I was just… defensive. Your demands didn't help, either." Sora shot the Silveret a look.

"But you accepted them. Why?" Riku wondered.

"It's complicated. I need this book, Riku." Sora hid his gaze for a moment.

"But the things you said this morning…" Riku made note of the fact that Sora had verbally tore him a new asshole.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, I am. Let's pretend it never happened. Let's pretend that _nothing_ ever happened between us." Sora stated firmly.

"Nothing? You mean, even when we were younger?" Riku was shocked.

"_Especially_ when we were younger. It was ten years ago. It was a _lifetime_ ago. We're different people now. We're business partners. Nothing romantic, nothing personal." Sora explained.

"Right. Nothing personal." Riku rolled his eyes.

"I mean it, Docken. I want a fresh start on a completely different foot. If you want meaningless, casual sex, then I can give that to you in exchange for a book that will start my career off right. This is a business deal. We don't need to bring up the past or look to the future. As far as I'm concerned, neither of them exists." Sora raised his eyebrows as a sort of challenge.

What could Riku have said? There was nothing he could have done in order to change the brunet's mind at that very moment. He was lucky enough that Sora changed his mind and even agreed to sleep with him. Riku couldn't expect him to run back with open arms just yet, even more so with how they ended their relationship. No, if the Silveret wanted more it was going to take time, and lots of it.

Too bad he only had six months.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters of Kingdom Hearts, or the ideas from Kingdom hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**

**Music This Chapter:**

**Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen**

**With You - Pippin (New Broadway Cast Recording)**


	8. Chapter 8

Roxie sat on a black bar stool in the middle of the otherwise barren stage. She had her silver dress back on and her blonde curls were now draped over her shoulder artfully and delicately. Piano fluttered in the background as she slowly brought the microphone to her lips. Axel watched, entranced, as she dipped her head low and crooned into the mic.

"**You want all my love and my devotion… You want my loving soul right on the line." **The blonde's voice was honey thick and filled with emotion. Axel found himself becoming wrapped into her singing just as quickly as he had been wrapped into their brief kiss.

He mentally scolded himself for paying attention to that kiss. It was just a kiss, after all! He'd kissed so many girls that he probably couldn't even recognize some of them if they were right in front of his face. But this one was different. This kiss was _Roxie's. _She was utterly and completely in control and that made Axel uneasy. He was _always_ in control.

**"I have no doubt that I could love you forever… The only trouble is you really don't have the time,"** Roxie lifted her heavy black lashes and gave the audience her best face of longing. She looked like she yearned to be in the arms of every last person in the crowd that Axel was standing in, and he couldn't help but think that her eyes rested on him for a second too long before she returned her attention back to the microphone, singing with passion.

"**You've got one night only, one night only, that's all you have to spare- One night only, let's not pretend to care."** She leaned back on the stool and ran one hand down her side alluringly. Axel was so caught up in watching her display that he almost didn't notice the blond man that was practically two inches from his face.

He stepped out of the way so that he could see the stage. It was becoming common for someone to get directly in his line of sight. With no tables to sit at and no real clear directions of who should be standing where, the bottom floor of the Cabaret was turning into a giant blob of people weirdly close to one another watching a pretty woman sing. Axel was used to crowds and he was used to people being in his personal bubble, but the blond man was starting to get directly in his way over and over again.

The superstar tried moving to the left, and there the blond was. He tried side stepping to the right and within a moment his view was blocked again. He tried to keep his cool, he really did. It was just slowly becoming impossible with this man making a better door than a window.

"Can I help you?" Axel snapped, wondering what the hell was going on. When the blond turned around he bore his blue eyes directly into Axel's green. He then recognized the man as one of the owners of the gay bar.

"I'm not so sure, hot stuff, but I think I can help _you_." The man smiled deviously and moved so that he was standing directly next to the red-head.

"What are you talking about?" Axel asked while Roxie continued to sing her heart out on the stage.

**"One night only, one night only, come on big baby come on! One night only, we only have 'til dawn—"**

"How much?" Cloud asked while waiting to write something down on a piece of paper.

"How much of what? What are you even talking about?" Axel decided that he couldn't listen to the blond talking and the blonde singing at the same time. He excused himself and allowed Cloud to follow him off of the dance floor. They ended up stopping in the bar area. The red-head raised an eyebrow at Riku sitting at the bar laughing with the author of their novel, but decided he'd ask the Silveret about it later.

"Okay, I'm sorry. What were you asking me?" Axel repeated himself.

"What I said, honey, was _how much_?" The co-owner of the bar waited expectantly while watching the tattooed man.

"I'm sorry, but I really don't know what you mean." Axel tried to leave the conversation but he was quickly grabbed by the blond. The red-head recoiled at the touch and turned around. "Dude, what the hell is your problem? I have no idea what you want from me and you won't stop talking like some kind of riddle-master, so I can't help you!

"**In the mornin' this feelin' will be gone- It has no chance goin' on. Something so right has got no chance to live, so let's forget about chances, it's one night I will give!"**

Cloud sighed, rolled his eyes, and took Axel by the shoulders. He pointed the rock-star in the blonde singer's direction and let him soak in what she was saying.

"**One night only, one night only, you'll be the only one- One night only, one night only, there's nothin' more to say- One night only, words get in the way"**

"_One night only_, sweet-cheeks, unless you pay _twice_." Cloud winked and wiggled his eyebrows at the red-head.

Slowly but surely the pieces fell together for Axel. He spent a few more seconds looking at the beautiful blonde on the stage and got a sick feeling in his stomach. _Oh no…_

"What's her highest bid so far?" Axel felt his mouth go dry as he watched her peer over the crowd. Her eyes landed on the spot where the red-head used to be standing and fluttered around for a second, seemingly searching for him. They moved on to another adoring fan within seconds, though.

"Eight hundred." Cloud shrugged and peered at the red-head.

"Double it." Axel watched her with a hawk's eye.

"**One night only, one night only, one night only."**

* * *

Sora cringed at the end of the song. He knew that Roxie wouldn't be coming home tonight and tried to rid his mind of the idea. He then remembered that he wasn't going home alone tonight either. They needed the money. They needed the money so damn badly.

_Six months, Sora. Six months and you can say goodbye to the crippling debt. Just hang in there._

"She sings so well…" Riku was listening to her song before he turned his attention back to the brunet. Now that her melodic crooning was over he could focus all of his efforts on the bartender in front of him.

"She's always sang like that." Sora smiled fondly at the idea of his best friend belting in the boy's shower room of their old dorm. They had gotten kicked out quite a few times because of his theatrical shenanigans.

"How long have you known her?" Riku asked, seemingly interested.

"I met Rox my freshman year of college." Sora replied before cleaning out a dirty glass.

"And you introduced her to Leon and Cloud?" The Silveret mused.

"Yeah. When they started up the Cabaret they begged her to perform. She couldn't say no and the two of us have been here ever since." He shook his head lovingly at the thought of how he was supposed to be temporary help when the couple first opened their doors.

"You meet a lot of guys here?" Riku inquired. Sora raised an eyebrow.

"What's it to you?" He wondered. The Silveret shrugged casually.

"I'm just making conversation." He took a sip of his drink.

"Yes, I meet lots of men. I'm not interested." Sora remarked.

"In men? Because from the way you looked at me this morning, I highly doubt that." Riku smirked as Sora's face flashed bright red.

"That's not fair. I was completely unprepared for that." Sora defended himself before serving another customer. Besides, Riku had been completely shirtless and dripping wet from the shower! How could he _not_ look?

"But you liked it." Riku was braver from his drinks. Sora needed to tone his bravery down if he was going to survive the night.

"I was surprised, that's all." He brushed it off.

"You _liked_ it." Riku sing-songed. Sora tried to ignore him but the Silveret was persistent in being annoying now that he was obviously drunk.

"I did not." Sora snapped before turning his attention to something particularly fascinating behind the bar. He wiped up the spill and then pretended like he had other things to be doing. When he finally came back to the Silveret, the man was smirking at him.

"I know you liked that kiss, Sora. I can read you just as well as I could ten years ago." Riku started, and when the brunet tried to open his mouth to protest the Silveret leaned across the counter and slid his hand around the nape of the smaller man's neck.

Sora was too shocked to move when Riku pressed their lips together. He tasted like mint and scotch and everything good that was in-between. He hadn't been expecting such a sudden move from the Silveret.

For a moment Sora was lost. He remembered the kiss from the morning and tried to picture it feeling like this one. That morning's kiss was hungry and invasive. It made him feel like he was prey and had been caught for his predator's feasting. This kiss, though, was so different. It was soft, and gentle, and their lips were chaste and closed. It was warm and sensual and felt…

It felt like ten years ago.

Sora tore away and covered his face before ducking behind the counter. Riku chuckled and sat back down on his stool, looking around the bar.

"No one was paying attention, you know. No one could see how red your face got." The Silveret took another sip of his drink.

"Why did you do that?" Sora hissed when he came back up to face the rock star.

"Because how in the hell are we going to have sex if you can't even kiss me?" Riku smirked into his drink before taking another sip. He emptied the glass and looked at the brunet expectantly to fill it. Sora rolled his eyes and pulled out a new bottle.

"I _can _kiss you, thank you very much. I just don't want to do it in front of everyone in the Cabaret!" He whispered angrily.

"_Prove it._" Riku challenged.

"What?" Sora asked in disbelief.

"Prove that you can kiss me." Riku prompted.

"You're insane." Sora snorted.

"No, I'm just ridiculously attracted to you." Riku shrugged.

"How unfortunate." Sora sneered.

"Really? Because it seems you're into me too…" The Silveret raised an eyebrow.

"You wish." Sora smirked. _He's only one of the most gorgeous men you've ever seen. Of course you're not attracted to him. _

The bartender couldn't help but smile at Riku's nerve, though. Ten years ago they had been so in-tune with each other that they barely had to speak a word because they already knew what the other was thinking. It seemed that the Silveret still possessed this ability when it came to the brunet, yet Sora felt sorely at a loss because he had no idea what was going through the rock star's head. He seemed to be having a grand time flirting with the brunet, at least, but Sora couldn't figure out why. It had been a decade, and Riku _must_ have moved on by now. It wasn't as if Sora was the only man he had been with in the past ten years. That would be impossible; this was Riku Docken! He was rich, famous, and highly attractive. He probably had men eating out of his hand.

_So why is he so determined to sleep with me?_

Sora resisted the urge to ask and locked eyes with the Silveret instead. There was something in their gleam that he couldn't put a finger on. He was looking at Sora with a stare of lust, but there was something underneath it. Something that seemed so familiar to him, but he just _couldn't_ name what it was.

"Why don't you just give up that stubborn persona you're putting on? You're not fooling either of us, West. You act like you're not affected by me, but the second I'm touching you you're completely absorbed_. You want me_. You're cellophane, Sora. I see right through you. Always have, always will." Riku slammed down the rest of his new drink and headed away from the bar toward the private bathrooms on the upper level. He dipped underneath the sectional rope blocking off the stairs and slowly climbed his way up.

Sora stood alone, pouting, at the bar. He served a few other customers while silently streaming off cusses in his head. _Stupid Riku, telling me to "prove it"… Who does he think he is, reading my mind like that? It's not fair… if only I could mess with his head like he messes with mine… _

Just then Leon happened to walk by the bar. Seeing the brunet threw an idea into Sora's mind that he just couldn't ignore. He ran around the side of the bar and collided with the larger man.

"Whoa, what's up?" Leon asked, assuming something was wrong.

"I need a break, you're taking over for me!" Sora scooted him over to the bar while Leon loudly protested. The little brunet ignored him, though, and ran over to the sectional rope that Riku had gone through. He dipped underneath it and began bolting up the stairs. He rounded the corner to the upper level where all of the private booths and Leon and Cloud's office were located. The bathroom door opened and Riku came out, running his hands through his hair. He had no idea what was coming when Sora shoved him against the wall. His face mirrored surprise when the brunet wove his hands into long silver hair and smashed his lips against the Silveret's.

Sora kissed him _hard_. He knew that Riku was trying to get a reaction out of him earlier, and _damn it_, two could play at that game!

There was a split second in which he vaguely wondered what Kairi was doing. He ignored the fact that his stomach was churning at the idea of his indiscretion. The feeling didn't last long, though, because something in his subconscious brought the name _Mark _to his attention. He suddenly felt like a saint compared to his fiancé. _If Kairi can screw whoever she wants, why shouldn't I? It's Riku Docken, for Christ's sake! The most famous man on the planet! Why not just let it happen?_

The brunet felt hands underneath his ass and momentarily let out a squeak as Riku picked him up. Sora felt a pang of shame for being so easily man-handled by the Silveret, but completely forgot about it when he was being pushed against the wall. He wrapped his legs around the other man's waist and let the drinks he had earlier control his movements. Sora wasn't drunk by any means, but he was just buzzed enough to take some of the edge off of what they were doing. Riku, on the other-hand, was drunk. The brunet could tell by how sloppy his kisses were and the fact that he was so aggressively attacking Sora's neck with tongue and lips.

"Mmmhn, Riku." Sora immediately regretted letting himself sound so breathy and needy. He was supposed to be messing with Riku, and yet the Silveret had turned it around so that _Sora _was the one who was affected.

"_Yeah_?" Riku growled into the brunet's neck and bucked his hips into the smaller man's frame. The two of them were pressed dangerously close together, slammed against the wall, clutching onto each other for support and letting their hands tightly grip and roam over each other's bodies. Riku settled his grip on Sora's ass and firmly squeezed while lightly biting the brunet's bottom lip. Sora moaned into the kiss and pulled at Riku's hair. He shoved his tongue into the Silveret's mouth and fought proudly for dominance over the larger man.

Their breathing sped up as the two of them (Sora shirtless in his revealing uniform and Riku quickly shedding layers) lowered to the ground. Riku laid Sora down on his back and quickly resumed ravaging the brunet's deliciously tanned skin. He slowly began lowering his way down the smaller man's body, kissing the length of his neck and sucking on his collar bone first. He let his lips leave feather light touches over Sora's chest, causing the bartender to shiver underneath him.

_Oh God…_ It had been so long since Sora had felt this good. He and Kairi never did anything like this, especially not in a public place where they could be found at any time! He hadn't been touched like this in ages, and he could barely contain himself. He felt heat rising into his stomach as Riku dipped his tongue into his navel.

"Nnngggh!" Sora blindly reached for anything to hold on to, eventually finding the Silveret's hair. He pulled at it just as Riku reached the edge of the brunet's spandex shorts. The rock star played with the waistband teasingly, pulling at it with his teeth and letting his tongue slide along the inside, raising goose bumps along the brunet's skin.

Suddenly, without warning, Riku moved back toward Sora's head. He crashed his lips onto the brunet's with vigor, passionately massaging and tugging. Sora felt his eyes practically roll back in his head as Riku worked his magic.

Whenever he'd day-dream about the things he and Riku used to do, Sora couldn't remember it feeling quite like this. He knew it had been good, that was for sure, but this was _phenomenal_. Had it really been ten years since he had such a good make-out session?

"Hey, Sora? Are you almost done with your break? I have other shit to do, you know!" Leon called up the stairs as he slowly walked up them. Riku and Sora looked to each other in horror before rolling away from one another.

"I'll stall, you fix _that_." Riku motioned to Sora's shorts and winked before wiping off his mouth and bolting toward the stairs. Sora made a dash for the bathroom just as Riku ran into Leon.

"Leon! It's been ages!" Sora could hear him loudly call out before the bathroom door closed.

_Holy shit… I look like I just had sex. _Sora was alarmed when he saw himself in the mirror. He immediately locked the bathroom door and promptly took off his shorts to avoid getting them wet. He then took a mini cold shower using sink water and some creative poses. Within a few minutes he had cleaned himself up to a respectable working appearance and put his shorts back on. He exited the bathroom just as Leon was coming up the final set of stairs.

"There you are! Get your ass back down there, West!" Leon scolded him and guided him down the stairs by the shoulders. "Trying to get out of work, were you? Well not this time!" He comically Raised his voice and put on a 'gruff, grouchy boss' accent.

"Leon cut it out, you know I wasn't purposely avoiding work. I just got… tangled up." Sora couldn't help but smile as he said the words. Riku came into his line of sight at the bottom of the stairs and winked at the brunet before pointing to his empty drink.

"Well, I better not find you hiding in the bathroom again, you little scoundrel." Leon gave him a light tap on the butt and shooed him over to the bar. Sora rolled his eyes at his friend and strut his way back to his rightful side of the counter. He filled Riku's drink and laughed.

"Your hair is looking a little wild, just so you know." Sora pointed at the Silveret's mane and snickered.

"I happen to like things wild. How about you?" Riku raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"I think I can handle it." For what seemed like the first time in ten years, Sora was actually looking forward to not going to bed alone.

* * *

Roxie looked at herself in the mirror and inspected her finished product.

_Not too shabby, Hart. Not so slutty that you look like a full-time hooker, but just slutty enough where you look like a part-time hooker._

She winked at herself and strut her way over to Cloud; he was finishing up putting away costumes for the night. The blond smiled lovingly at his star performer and kissed her on the cheek.

"You were as fabulous as always tonight, dear." He congratulated her before folding up a feather boa.

"Thank you, thank you. It's always nice to hear from an adoring fan." Roxie held her hand out to be kissed by the owner of the Cabaret. Cloud rolled his eyes and played along, feeding into her delusions.

"Careful, honey. Your ego might not fit out the door if you keep this up, and you have an appointment in five minutes." Cloud shook his head disapprovingly.

"What's he like?" Rox asked uneasily while shifting in her heels. Cloud sighed.

"Roxie, if you don't want to do this, I don't see why you are. It's… It's degrading." Cloud muttered while shoving a rack of clothes out of the way and into a closet. Roxie crossed her arms and pouted.

"Not you too! It's already enough trouble having Sora on my ass about this. I'm a big girl, Cloud. I can take care of myself." The singer walked back to her dressing room mirror and reapplied her red lipstick. She gave her make-up one more look before declaring it satisfactory.

Roxie was dolled up in her favorite wig (the curly blonde one), had changed her silver make-up out for a more dramatic and alluring smoky eyed look, and had switched into a lacey red dress.

"I know you can take care of yourself, sweetie. It's just easy to get caught up in this kind of thing. This isn't who you are." Cloud reminded her before coming to join her in the mirror. They both stared at her reflection with a grim look on their faces.

"It may not be who I am, but it's what I have to do. What's he like?" Roxie asked again, changing the subject.

"He's into women. You'll have to be Roxie." Cloud shrugged and continued about his work.

"Perfect." The blonde smirked as she strut her way out of the room.

* * *

Axel had been led to a dimly lit room on the upper level. He was sure it was supposed to be an office at one point in time but had been converted for more… _contemporary_ needs. The floor was plush carpet and the furniture inside was designed with one intention, and Axel was pretty damn sure he knew what it was. Everything looked very cleanable and easy to disinfect. He took a sip of the water he had requested. A running boy had brought it in to him a few minutes before with a wink and a strut. Axel could have laughed at how ironic the whole situation was. A gay rock star and a straight rock star walk into a Cabaret, and the straight one ends up buying a hooker.

He didn't have any more time to internally rationalize his choices before the door slowly creaked open. A lone leg slid its way in, stiletto hitting the ground first. Pale skin was deeply contrasted by a bright red dress that slowly appeared in the door. Axel rolled his eyes and set his water down.

"You can cut it short, Little Miss Sunshine. It's just me." He chuckled softly as Roxie peeked her head around the door in surprise. She let her mouth hang open for a moment before slamming it closed and making a terrified squeaking noise.

"What are you doing here?!" She cried out in shock while her head and hands still hung around the side of the doorway.

"Sitting, mostly. How about you?" The rock star teased.

"I have a really important meeting, and you need to leave!" Roxie snapped, finally entering the room. She put her hands on her hips and glared at the red head.

She was always so stunning. Her dress fell in all the right places, her legs looked lean and yet powerful from dance, and her heels were always a perfect fit for her. The singer was the epitome of the red-head's type. She had legs for miles that led up to a perfectly perky and curvy ass, a flat stomach, and even though she was flat chested Axel couldn't have cared less. The only thing that mattered to him on the front of a girl's body was her face, and did Roxie ever have a good one.

"Don't I get what I paid for?" Axel raised an eyebrow at the blonde suggestively.

A moment of realization washed over Roxie's face before horror took its place. She began stammering and covered her mouth with her hands. Her eyes went wide and she shook her head before glaring at the red-head one more.

"That's _cheating_! You can't just buy me, Mien Herr. What ever happened to the fun of the chase?" She pouted and plopped down on the plush couch next to him. All of the furniture was leather and dark.

"I know it's cheating. That's why I'm abstaining." Axel held up his hands in defense.

"You're what?" Roxie looked at him with disbelief.

"I said I'm abstaining. I'm refusing to sleep with you." The rock star shrugged his shoulders and turned on the couch so that he was facing the singer. She stared at him in wonder.

"But… but you paid?" Roxie was flabbergasted.

"I know I paid." He mentioned casually while offering the blonde a sip of his water. She graciously accepted and took a swig before handing it back.

"But _why_ did you, if you're not going to… _you know_…" She lowered her gaze.

"Because you're right, I don't want to give up the fun of the cha—Wait… did you just get too embarrassed to say the word fuck?" Axel laughed, realizing that Roxie had trailed off her sentence earlier.

"No, of course not!" Roxie snorted, trying to cover for herself.

"You totally did!" Axel exclaimed, amused. "So you're basically telling me that you're a prostitute that can't say the word fuck?"

"I'm _not_ a prostitute!" Roxie defended herself. "Look, I just do this to help out, okay? Half the time it's just guys who want me to strip and dance around and stuff. It's innocent, really." She mumbled.

"Right. Sure. _Not a prostitute_. Got it." Axel nodded sarcastically.

"Believe whatever you want, Mien Herr." Roxie purred to him.

"See, that's exactly why I _don't_ believe you!" Axel pointed out, scooting away from her on the couch. She cocked her head to the side, wondering what he was talking about. "You're always putting on an act. It's always a performance with you, and I've only known you two days. I feel like I have no idea who you are." Axel confessed.

"You don't have any interest in finding out who I really am; you told me so yourself this morning." She threw her head back and laughed.

"I don't know if I'm so sure about that anymore." He admitted, staring at the beautiful girl in front of him. She raised her eyebrow and smirked.

"It's my turn not to believe _you._" She shook her head. "You're Axel Andrus of _The World That Never Was_, rock-star and sex idol. I'm Roxie Hart of _The Cabaret, _an author's assistant and 'not a prostitute'. There is no way in hell that you want to know who I really am."

"Okay, okay." Axel held his hands up in defense. "You caught me. I don't give a damn who you are, Roxie. I just want to know where you learned how to kiss like that, and I paid a pretty damn good sum of money to find out." He smiled at her playfully.

"I don't kiss and tell, Mien Herr." Roxie purred once more at the red-head across from her.

"Oh?" Axel raised both eyebrows and leaned closer to the blonde. She smelled like vanilla and sugar; the scent caught in the rock-star's nose and left him breathless. _What is it about her that seems so different?_

"No, but I can show you…" She bit her lip before kissing his.

* * *

"I'm headed out early, okay?" Sora called to Leon as he finished cleaning up the bar. The brunet raised his eyebrow at the bartender and crossed his arms, leaning the broom he had been holding against the newly cleaned counter.

"Oh?" Leon's unspoken words were something along the lines of _just where in the hell do you think you're going_?

"Well, it's Friday night and my section is all clean. I figured I could slip out an hour or two early?" Sora shuffled out of the bar, trying to move slowly enough where Leon wouldn't notice.

"Do you have a date or something? You've never asked to leave early." Leon interrogated the smaller brunet with a careful eye. Sora never was a very good liar.

"Uh… yeah, I have a date! Totally have a date tonight! SO, if you don't mind, I'm just gonna head out and go do date stuff!" Sora rambled while quickly grabbing his sweatshirt and bolting for the hallway that led out of the Cabaret. Leon shook his head and laughed before calling after him.

"You're a shit liar, West! See you tomorrow night!" He continued his chuckling as Sora bid a quick farewell to Cloud. The smaller brunet didn't bother finding Roxie. He knew where she'd be at this time of the night, and he didn't really want to think about it.

By the time he got out to the Rusty Stallion Sora was practically shaking he was such a ball of nerves. He sat down in the driver's seat and rest his head on the steering wheel. Riku gave his a questionable look before piping up from the passenger's side.

"You don't look so good. Did something happen?" He asked in actual concern. Sora had given him the keys to the car (knowing that he'd never want to steal the run down piece of shit that was the Rusty Stallion) so he could sit and wait until the brunet had finished cleaning up the bar.

"No, I'm fine. Let's just go." Sora extended his hand and waited for the keys to plop back into his possession. Riku fiddled with them for a second before passing them over to the author.

The car roared to life and soon the pair was exiting the Cabaret parking lot and on the road to Riku's hotel. There was a heavy silence in the car that Sora attempted to fill by turning on the radio.

"Welcome to the midnight hour, ladies and gentleman. We have some interesting news tonight about everybody's favorite band, _The World That Never Was_. It seems that our beloved rock-stars have signed a deal with CityRise publishing as of yesterday. For the next six months they'll be putting their heads together to publish a biography jam packed with every little snippet from their lives so far. I'm sure we'll have more details about it coming up soon, but for right now it seems like a very hush-hush project. Let's just hope we get to see some of the band's dark, dirty secrets. Am I right?" The disc jockey spoke excitedly into the microphone. Sora rolled his eyes and Riku let out a soft chuckle at the idea of the _super-secret _project. "And now, let's head down memory lane back to a time when everyone's favorite golden boy was still fresh faced and Bambi-eyed. Here's Riku Docken's first solo number, _Corner of the Sky_."

Sora bit his lip as fluttering music filled the car. He already knew every note of the song and every single word.

**Everything has its season, everything has its time. Show me a reason and I'll soon show you a rhyme. Cats fit on the window sill, children fit in the snow… Why do I feel I don't fit in anywhere I go?**

"This song is so old…" Riku's voice was filled with nostalgia.

**Rivers belong where they can ramble, eagles belong where they can fly. I've got to be, where my spirit can run free- Got to find my corner of the sky!**

"Do you remember how long it took us to write this?" Riku smiled softly while turning to look at the brunet. Sora stared at the road ahead of him and didn't answer.

**Every man has his daydreams, every man has his goal; people like the way dreams have of sticking to the soul. Thunderclouds have their lightning, nightingales have their song- And don't you see I want my life to be something more than long...**

"I remember I was so bad at coming up with exactly what I wanted to say." Riku stated fondly. "But you were always so good at figuring it out. You always knew exactly what I couldn't find the words for. You _always_ knew what I was trying to say."

**Rivers belong where they can ramble, eagles belong where they can fly. I've got to be, where my spirit can run free- Got to find my corner of the sky!**

"Please stop." Sora bit his lip harder to keep from remembering how happy they had been that night. _Riku had snuck in through my window… we had curled up in my bed with a flashlight and a ratty old notebook, determined to write a song. We wanted it to mean something. _

**So many men seem destined to settle for something small; but, I won't rest until I know I'll have it all! So don't ask where I'm going, just listen when I'm gone… And far away you'll hear me singing softly to the dawn:**

**Rivers belong where they can ramble, eagles belong where they can fly. I've got to be, where my spirit can run free- Got to find my corner of the sky!**

"Stop?" Riku questioned. "But why? This song meant the world to us…" He drifted off quietly.

"_Meant_ is the key word here, Riku. What we had is gone now. Neither of us are looking to get it back, okay? So let's pretend it never happened." Sora tried his best to sound like he wasn't going to cry.

"_It's three in the morning, what are you doing here?!" Sora whispered frantically to his boyfriend. Riku smiled deviously and climbed in through the window of Sora's room in his parent's farm house. He landed softly on the bed and rolled over on top of the smaller brunet, causing the boy to squeak with surprise. _

"_I have a mission for you, if you're up for it." Riku explained, but only after attacking the brunet with kisses. _

"_What kind of mission?" Sora raised an eyebrow suggestively. Riku rolled his eyes and shoved him over._

"_No, not that kind, you insatiable beast." Sora shrugged in defense and wrapped his arms around the Silveret's waist. "I want to write a song." Riku stated._

"_You sneak into my house at three in the morning, take up precious space on my bed, and all you want to do is write a song?" Sora pouted and crossed his arms. Riku stared at his boyfriend in absolute awe. He was covered in a black t-shirt and red flannel pajama bottoms that were a tiny bit too short for him. His hair was wild from sleep and his pouting lips were just so perfectly shaped that Riku couldn't help but kiss them._

"_I was trying to write it on my own, but you know how I am. I stumble around and can't figure it out. Help me with the words and I'll do the music on my own. If you do, I'll reward you…" Riku kissed Sora's neck softly and the brunet melted._

"_Fine. What are we working with?" He pulled the notebook away from the Silveret and looked at the page._

"_**Everyone has their moment, everyone has their place… yet I'm nothing near that, do I just take up space?"**__ Sora read the lyrics aloud and then looked at his boyfriend with a frown. "Riku these lyrics are terrible." _

"_I know!" The Silveret let out a heavy sigh and collapsed on the bed. "Fix them." He pleaded, helpless._

"_You're lucky I love you, you know that?" Sora began vigorously erasing the words on the paper._

"_I thank my lucky stars every day." Riku beamed at him cheekily. Sora rolled his eyes._

"_Yeah, yeah. Cool it, Casanova." He teased. "So what are you trying to go for with this song?" He asked._

"_I feel so… trapped. This small town suffocates me, Sora. I know I'm meant for more, and I just feel like I don't belong here." Riku explained, slowly. He had never been good at saying how he felt._

"_So you feel like you don't belong, and you feel like everyone else on Earth already has it figured out, but you don't?" Sora reiterated. The Silveret nodded and Sora rolled his eyes at him once more. "So you're basically telling me you feel like every other seventeen year old on the planet?"_

"_But I'm different!" Riku exclaimed. Sora laughed as quietly as he could and stared at his boyfriend in disbelief._

"_You're different, are you? Because you have such a fat head?" He poked fun at the Silveret's ego._

"_Say what you will, Sora, but you and me both know that the two of us are meant for something more. We're not like the everyday run of the mill guy. We're special." Riku explained while rolling over on his stomach on the bed. Sora settled down next to him and sighed before kissing him softly._

"_Okay, okay. __**Everything has its season, everything has its time. Show me a reason and I'll soon show you a rhyme. Cats fit on the window sill, children fit in the snow… Why do I feel I don't fit in anywhere I go?"**__ Sora wrote down the new lyrics and read them out loud to his boyfriend. Riku blinked and then threw himself on top of the brunet with glee._

"_How do can you just __**know**__ what I'm trying to say?" He wondered aloud._

"_Because I know you better than you know yourself. Now spout off some more lyric ideas so I can make them endlessly flawless." Sora teased._

"_You're the best, Sor. When I'm rich and famous, I'll be sure to send you a postcard from all the cool places I go, okay?" Riku nuzzled his face into the brunet's neck. Sora quickly swatted him away._

"_I better get a souvenir t-shirt, too. From the looks of this we may be here all night…" Sora bit his lip._

"_I think I'm okay with that…" Riku tilted Sora's chin before kissing him softly._

"Pretend it never happened?" Riku remembered that night clear as day and felt his heart ache at the thought. _How can he just wash those memories away so easily while I suffer with them every day?_

"_We never happened._" Sora confirmed before pulling into the hotel parking lot. The two of them looked at each other in apprehension before exiting the car and heading inside the hotel.

Riku pressed the elevator button and let Sora walk in first. When the doors sealed closed he looked at the brunet out of the corner of his eye. He looked tired, for starters, and Riku could have sworn that his eyes were a little bit red. The Silveret did his best to ignore it, though, because he couldn't have done a thing to help. It was obvious that Sora didn't want a single thing from Riku except for the paycheck that came with the book.

He tried to ignore how much that hurt as they walked into his suite.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters of Kingdom Hearts, or the ideas from Kingdom hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**

**Music This Chapter**

**One Night Only - Dream Girls (Jennifer Holiday)**

**Corner of the Sky - Pippin (2013 Broadway Cast)**


	9. Chapter 9

Axel arrived back at the lavish hotel at three in the morning. He slid his keycard in the elevator's locking mechanism and the large hunk of machinery roared to life, allowing him access to the pent-house suite in which he was staying for the next six months. When the metal doors slid open he casually strolled out of the lonesome elevator and looked around the even lonelier hallway. He sighed heavily, feeling the ghost of the blonde on his lips.

_Soft hands wove their way into his hair. Her delicate fingers grazed over the skin of his cheeks gently on their way to his fiery locks. She exhaled deeply through those red, red lips before kissing him so chastely that he wondered if she had even kissed him at all. Axel resisted the urge to grab her and pull her on top of himself, rolling over on the couch and taking control of the little blonde holding his head tenderly. He forced himself to melt into the leather of the couch and keep his hands at his sides. _

_When she pulled away after a mere second Axel felt himself leaning toward her, trying to close the space between them once more. She bit her lip as she turned her head and gracefully lifted herself off of the couch. Axel let his hand trail down her arm, encircling her wrist with a feather-light grip. She turned her head to face him._

_Her lacey red dress hung delicately off of her back. Her pale-white skin shimmered in the dim lighting of the secluded room, seemingly glowing with radiance. Axel imagined tracing his fingers along the lines of her shoulder blades, down the spine, on the edge of her dress, over those tantalizing hips…_

_The bad boy's eyes traveled from her lace to her lips. They were round, heart shaped, and glossed to perfection. Her lipstick had stayed intact from her mere peck of a kiss, though Axel was sure there had to be some on his mouth. Her hair stayed in curls down the side of her face, framing her head as she turned her neck around to see the rock star. They were locked in each other's gaze before Roxie finally spoke._

"_I'll give you back your money, Mine Herr." She adverted her eyes from the tattooed man's. Something in her voice had shifted, and she was no longer the playful, teasing woman that Axel was becoming acquainted to._

"_Why?" Axel stood up slowly, trying to get a look at her face. She turned away from him again and took her hand out of his reach. _

"_Because I'm not the kind of girl you want to waste your money on." Roxie confessed, heading for the door._

"_You're my type of girl. I already told you that." Axel explained, walking the few feet to catch up with her. He grabbed her shoulder as lightly as possible, turning her around. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed how her eyes were welling up with tears. "Roxie?" He questioned._

"_You have stay away from me..._" _The singer whimpered softly. "I can't be your type of girl."_ _She escaped from his grasp and moved swiftly out the door._

Axel recalled the events of the night as he took off his shoes after unlocking the door to the main room of the suite. The shared common space between his and Riku's rooms was almost as large as most houses; it came complete with a full kitchen, two full baths, a full living and dining room, and even a small reading nook that neither of them really used. There were two master suites connected to the large common area that Riku and Axel occupied. Both of those were furnished with large California king sized beds, living areas, a master bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub, and a mini kitchenette. They could have lived there forever, though they only needed to stay six months while they worked on that damn biography.

_How am I going to work with her every day if she can't make up her mind? One minute she's so into me, the next she's running out the door… _Axel shook his head and tried not to think about the blonde anymore. She seemed to be filling his thoughts far more often than he'd like to admit, and that was never a problem the tattooed man had. It was so easy for him to shove people in and out of his life, and easier yet to do so in his head. That blonde had her fifteen minutes of fame in Axel's world, so why wasn't she ancient history?

_Why was she crying?_ He rolled his eyes when he caught himself thinking about her again as he poured himself a bowl of cereal from their kitchen's pantry. _Cut it out, Andrus. You're being ridiculous. She's just some girl, after all. Some girl who doesn't matter._

Axel snorted and rolled his eyes at his own foolish thoughts. _You're hopeless, Andrus. You know for a fact that she's testing you, toying with you, and playing you. Only a girl who has something to hide doesn't tell you her secrets. _Axel reminded himself that Roxie Hart was proving to be more private about her life than he had ever known a girl to be. Women were dying for the chance to win him over, eagerly jumping to bite his bait. Roxie, though, was swimming in the opposite direction as fast as she could, and no matter how many times Axel tried to reel her in, she evaded his attempts like a master.

She was elusive, beautiful, and possibly quite dangerous to the red-head's health. The tattooed man knew better than to get involved with a girl who could possibly outsmart him, and Roxie seemed like the kind of woman who could give him a run for his money if she really tried. No matter how much he told himself he shouldn't bother with her, that he should just move on and find a new pretty girl to divert his attention toward, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wouldn't have as much fun.

Because, truth be told, Axel was having an absolute blast. Roxie was a delight to be around. Her charm, her wit, and her effortless perfection were drawing Axel in quickly. She smiled brighter, danced harder, and sang sweeter than any other girl he had ever met. There had to be some merit to that, didn't there? She was different from the other girls. She had substance. Axel didn't know what that substance was, since the little blonde wouldn't tell him, but he was going to find out.

_You just have to make her crack. You haven't been trying hard enough. She ran from the room because you don't have a good enough hold on her. Make her want you, Andrus. It's what you're good at!_

The table felt too big with no one else sitting down to eat. Axel took his fresh bowl over to the tiny reading nook. The beautiful wooden desk seemed too strange for their modern and new-age hotel room. All of the furniture was either black or white, and the theme of the suite was centered on the idea of simplistic beauty. A lot of glass, a lot of multi-functionality pieces. The reading nook, however, was completely different. It was nearly hidden from the rest of the suite by the wall of bookcases that was opposite of Axel. The desk was against the wall and the chair he was sitting in was adjacent to it. All of the book nook was warm and inviting, filled with rich fabrics, natural woods, and dusty old books. Axel turned his nose up at the library smell it had.

_Why would she tell me that I have to stay away from her? _ The red head gave up on trying to refocus his mind. No matter how hard he tried, that vivacious little blonde wasn't going anywhere. _Why did she bother getting my attention in the first place?_ Axel sighed and pursed his lips. Roxie Hart was proving more troublesome than he thought; but _damn_, did he ever love the chase.

* * *

Roxie ran into the dressing room and frantically gathered her things after bolting from the private room. She hid her face from the other performers that were finally packing up for the night. She didn't want to give an explanation as to why her make-up was smudging with fresh tears.

_You're disgusting._

"Shut up!" Roxie hissed to herself as quietly as possible. She threw several brushes and a few different types of powder into her make-up bag.

_You're a disgusting freak of nature._

"That's not true…" Roxie timidly reassured herself in a whisper before running out of the dressing room.

_He'll never want you once he knows._

By the time she made it outside the Cabaret the blonde had managed to rein in her emotions enough to grab a cab. She always took a taxi home on Friday nights. Sora never waited around for her, knowing she'd be at the Cabaret, trapped in that room, until whomever she was with felt like they got their money's worth. She faintly hoped that Sora would still be awake when she got home. It was earlier than usual, anyway.

She tried desperately to compose herself as the city's lights whizzed past her from the back seat of the taxi. Roxie was normally a very sensible girl. She knew better than to get herself caught up in trouble like this, but there was something about Axel Andrus that had her in a tight spot. She was interested in him, there was no doubting that, but she also knew that falling for a guy like that would leave her torn apart. If there was one thing she couldn't afford, it was to lose what little sanity she had acquired in the last six months.

She paid the cabby and ran up the concrete stairs leading to the building. She stepped inside the lobby and hurried over to the mailbox, wondering what she and the brunet had forgotten to pick up. When she turned the key and opened the little box, she sucked in a breath of air. She grabbed the envelopes and hurried up the three flights of stairs it took for her to reach the apartment. She unlocked the door and slammed it closed behind her.

"Sora?" She called out hopefully, expecting her best friend to respond. The apartment was silent in return. "Sor-rah?" She tried again, heading the short distance to his room. She found it empty and frowned, wondering where he could be. It wasn't like him to go out without telling her, but maybe he was at his parent's house or Kairi's place. Rox could have laughed at the idea of Sora spending the night at Kairi's if it were any other night, and she would have kicked her heels up on the coffee table in a fit of rebellious freedom, knowing the brunet wasn't home to scold her. Tonight, however, she was slipping fast into a fit of nervousness and twirled her fingers in her hair to display it.

She closed her eyes in apprehension as she grabbed the envelopes she had taken from the mailbox. _Do I even dare?_ Roxie thought to herself in fear. Normally Sora opened the mail. He assumed the responsibility out of obligation for the first few months of Roxie being "home". Sora had taken on a lot of her responsibilities while she was gone, and even when she came back. He had never asked for anything in return…

She opened the first letter and quickly skimmed the page of information before dropping it to the ground. She tore into the second letter and let it fall to its fate the same as the one before.

Every single bill fluttered to the ground before Roxie finally felt the tears staining her cheeks.

_That's so much money… _She gulped down a lump in her throat and jumped up from the couch, not wanting to think about the numbers she had just seen staring back at her in bold, red print. She raced into the bathroom. _I just need to clear my head…_ A shower would do her good.

It was always the same whenever Roxie felt herself slipping. She'd begin to panic, to break down, and the fastest way she could compose herself was by pretending nothing was wrong in the first place. She didn't need to cry anymore. That part of her life was over. She was safe now.

She took a wash cloth and dabbed an end of it in her make-up remover. She rubbed her face with the rag and watched as Roxie melted away in front of her. She removed the bobby pins from her hair and let the wig rest on the counter before tearing the cap off as well.

Roxas looked at himself in the mirror and watched helplessly as his body shook. He leaned against the bathroom counter, clutching the edge so tightly his knuckles turned white. He slowly unzipped the side of his dress and watched as it fell to the ground around his ankles. He felt so naked without the straps clinging to his shoulders.

There he was. Roxas Hart. Without all the make-up his face seemed so pale. Without the wig his hair seemed so crazy. Without the dress his chest looked so bare. Tears streamed down his face and hit the floor much like the bills he had left behind the closed bathroom door. This was who he was. He was always so caught up in the act that he couldn't remember his roots. He was a man. He was a woman, too, but when it came down to it at the end of the night, his name was Roxas and he couldn't forget who he was. What had he been thinking, kissing Axel like that?

_He. Won't. Want. You. No one will ever want you._

"Stop it." Roxas said out loud while staring at himself. He could feel the blackness pooling around his heart and threatening to spread. It was a feeling he knew all too well. He focused on his face and refused to break eye contact. He could get through this. He was stronger now. He'd changed.

_You're broken. You're broken. You're broken._

"I'm _beautiful_." Roxas wiped away his tears and smiled at himself sheepishly in the mirror. "You can't hurt me anymore. I won't let you." He spoke out loud to one man in particular. He slowly lowered his underwear, staring at himself once more. He used to cry every time. It was so much easier now. "I'll never let you hurt me again." He took a deep breath and walked away from the mirror. He exited the bathroom, picked up the envelopes, and placed them on the counter where they belonged. He was stronger now. He was so much stronger now.

* * *

Riku closed the door behind himself as he entered the main area to the hotel suite. He looked around the ultra-modern entry way and stepped forward toward the living room, peeking his head around the corner of the wall. So far there was no sign of Axel anywhere, which was good. He was trying to keep his little arrangement with a certain burnet a secret, after all.

He grabbed Sora's hand and gently guided him into the living room. Sora once again marveled at the high-end furniture and simplistic design. The only place he'd been in that was this expensive was his office building, and CityRise was starting to pale in comparison to how beautiful the hotel suite truly was.

They tip-toed across the main room and barely made it to Riku's door when Axel's began to open. The Silveret practically threw the brunet inside and shut it behind him, but not before Kida could escape through the gap. The husky ran through the main room, excitedly clambering after the red head who was headed toward the kitchen. He raised an eyebrow at Riku, who was standing next to his door in the dark suspiciously.

"Whatcha doin'?" Axel wondered aloud while digging some ice cream out of the freezer. Larxene had taken it upon herself to fill their kitchen with all of their essentials: pizza, beer, ice cream, and barbeque wings. They may have been billionaires, but they were men, after all.

"I could say the same for you. Are you going to put that in a bowl, or just shovel it into your mouth with your hands?" Riku mentioned the fact that Axel had removed the lid from the ice cream and was stabbing it with his spoon, scooping up mouthfuls and ramming it in.

"I had a rough night." He rolled his eyes and animatedly flicked the spoon around before taking another bite of ice cream.

"Want to talk about it?" Riku asked while moving to reign in his excited dog. Axel waved him away, though, and motioned for Kida to stand up next to him. She happily placed her paws on the counter and peeked her head over the edge, sniffing around for any scraps Axel may have left lying around. He pat her on the head and scratched between her ears.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm borrowing your dog, though." Axel smirked in the Silveret's direction. "She makes for far better silent company." He gave her another pat and she barked in response, seemingly aware that she was being praised and Riku was explicitly not.

"If you wanted silence you shouldn't have spent the night at a Cabaret." Riku suggested before turning to go into his room. "You're sure you're okay?" He repeated himself.

"You know I'd tell you if I wasn't. You're all I've got, Riku, for all that's worth." Axel let the backhanded compliment do its job as a dismissal. Riku smiled softly and got the hint.

"I'll come get her when I want her back, okay? Until then she's all yours, bathroom trips included." Riku pointed at the redhead, making sure he was clear. Axel held his hands up in defense and saluted.

"Yes, Sir!" He and the Husky walked back into his personal suite on the other side of the main living area. Riku sighed and quickly darted inside his door, locking it behind himself.

When he turned around he found Sora sitting patiently on the couch in the living space, his legs bouncing up and down and his hands wringing themselves around and around. He sighed once more before taking off his shoes and walking toward the obviously anxious brunet.

"You're doing that thing you always used to do." Riku casually mentioned before coming up behind Sora and placing his hands on the smaller man's shoulders gently.

"No I'm not." Sora immediately became defensive of his habits. He tensed under the Silveret's touch.

"Of course you are. Look at you, you're a nervous wreck." Riku slowly began to knead at Sora's tightened back muscles, working his fingers against the pent up anxiety.

"I-I am not." Sora stuttered, betraying himself. He swore under his breath and tried to stop his legs from bouncing.

"Sora, you're doing that thing you do when you're scared. You tense up, you bounce your legs, and you can't stop fidgeting with your hands." Riku pointed out in a tone that Sora couldn't quite put his finger on. It sounded almost… fond? "I knew you inside and out for three years. Don't try and tell me you're not nervous." Riku chuckled softly before finally working his fingers enough so that Sora's shoulders relaxed. The rest of him remained as tight, but it was a start.

"Okay, so I'm a little nervous." Sora admitted sheepishly. "But how can you not be?!" He exclaimed defensively. "We haven't had sex together in ten years." The brunet reminded the rock-star.

"It's like riding a bike, Sora. You don't really forget how to do it. Besides, it's not like I'm requiring all that much out of you." Riku laughed and grabbed the brunet's hand, leading him away from the living area. Sora tried to hide the fact that his legs were a little wobbly.

"What does that mean?" He inquired as he let himself be dragged inside the high-tech bathroom. The counters were completely black with sinks built directly into the stone. The faucets came out of the wall and hovered above in all their chrome glory. Sora raised an eyebrow at the dim lighting coming from the heat lamps in the ceiling and let his feet enjoy the heated stone floor. He was standing in the lap of luxury.

"It means that we'll work our way up to the crazy stuff. We'll start out simple first; give ourselves a chance to remember everything about each other." Riku smiled at him while continuing to move toward the shower.

"I don't know if remembering everything about one another is a good idea…" Sora back tracked, wiggling his way out of the Silveret's grasp.

"You're so afraid of everything from the past. You need to relax, West." The rock star sauntered his way toward the smaller man and wrapped his hands around his waist slowly. He splayed his fingers open wide so that he could grab more of the brunet's toned muscle.

"I know, I'm sorry; it's just that I haven't really prostituted myself out before, so I'm a little bit iffy on the logistics of having completely detached and meaningless sex with someone I used to be in love with." Sora replied sarcastically. He decided not to evade the Silveret's attempt to hold him, though, and stayed in his embrace. There was no sense in fighting it anymore. This was happening. He couldn't decide whether or not he wanted it to happen, but it was happening none the less.

"Just pretend we're in love if that makes it easier." Riku suggested playfully.

"You're an idiot." Sora snorted and leaned his head back to laugh, exposing his neck. Riku took the opportunity to warm the brunet up to the idea of sleeping with him by attacking his neck with kisses. "Ah! Riku!" Sora shifted as he continued to laugh, half out of surprise and half because it tickled.

"What?" The Silveret purred as he placed more kisses down Sora's neck.

"Errm…" Sora's breath hitched as Riku nibbled on a tender spot. "Stop it!"

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure you weren't saying that at the Cabaret, which, may I remind you, is where _you_ jumped _me_." The rock star moved his kisses from Sora's neck to his jaw line.

"You pissed me off." Sora panted, clinging to Riku's shoulders to stay standing.

"So that's how I can get you into bed? By making you angry with me?" Riku slowly started walking them toward the shower.

"You're a double idiot." Sora smiled as he said it, tilting his head so that Riku couldn't get to his neck while they walked.

"A double idiot, eh? That's real mature. How old are you; twelve? Not only am I gay, but apparently a pedophile. The tabloids will have a field day." The Silveret chuckled as he slowly snuck his hands underneath Sora's shirt. He felt the brunet tense up and softly kissed his forehead. "_Relax_. I'm not going to do anything you won't like."

"I know…" Sora sounded uneasy as Riku lifted his shirt up and over the brunet's head. Riku took off his own shirt and then gently put his hands on Sora's face.

"Sora, I'm not forcing you to do this. If at any time you want to stop, just tell me, and I will. I'm not going to hurt you, okay?" Riku reassured him, sincerity oozing into his voice.

Sora took a moment to process the Silveret's words. _I'm not forcing you to do this… of course he is! If I don't I can kiss that book, the money, and the Cabaret good-bye! Well… I guess he doesn't actually know that I need the money to save the Cabaret. He just thinks I'm doing this for my own personal gain. He thinks I can back out any time I want to. But I can't… other people are counting on me. Roxie, Cloud, and Leon all need me to do this. I can do it for them. I have to. I have no choice._

"…Okay." Sora mustered up all of his courage and slammed his lips into the Silveret's.

They stumbled backward into the shower and Riku closed the glass door behind them as they continued to smash their faces together. Their bare chests pressed against one another and Sora couldn't help but enjoy it due to the fact that it was moderately freezing in the bathroom. The matter got worse when Riku reached behind him and turned the water on full spray, drenching himself and the brunet.

"What was that for!?" Sora practically screamed when the water hit his bare skin. The Silveret laughed and pulled him closer, standing directly underneath the now warm spray.

"Oh no, our clothes got all wet! Looks like we'll have to take them off!" He immediately began tugging at Sora's sweatpants. The fabric clung to the brunet's legs as Riku shimmied them downward.

Sora was anxious for this part. It wasn't like Riku hadn't seen him naked before, and if anything he had gotten more attractive since the last time Riku _had_ seen him naked, so why was he nervous? The Silveret was obviously doing everything in his power to make him more comfortable, which describing as appreciated would go as an understatement in Sora's book, but yet the brunet couldn't hide the blush on his cheeks as Riku finally pulled all of his clothing off.

"I can do most of it myself, but you kind of have to step out of them…" Riku looked up at Sora from his squatting position at the bottom of the massive shower. The Silveret then shook Sora's pants to make the point that he couldn't finish getting them off if the brunet didn't pay attention and move. Sora, though completely aware of what Riku was asking him, stared blankly at the rock star, unable to move, or think, or even breathe, really. He just stared like a nervous, suddenly frozen fish, gasping for air. "_Okaaaaaaaay_," Riku raised an eyebrow at the author and sighed. "Sora, you're getting all weird on me. Sora? Sora, are you even listening?" Riku waved his hand back and forth, trying to get the brunet's attention. Sora continued to be a strange, oddly human shaped sea creature while his mouth involuntarily gasped for air.

Riku (fed up with the fact that the ridiculously attractive Sora West was naked in front of him for the first time in ten years and suddenly forgot how to use any and all brain function) picked the brunet up and kicked his clothes out from underneath him into a corner of the shower. Sora squealed in surprise at the sudden upward velocity and wrapped his arms around Riku's neck in order to protect himself from a slippery and glass-door filled death, should the Silveret lose his footing.

"Back to the land of the living, eh?" Riku smiled softly and stared at Sora's face mere inches from his own. The brunet bit his lip and blushed in embarrassment.

"I may have panicked a little bit." He confessed, keeping his arms wrapped around the taller man as Riku set him down on the tile of the shower. Sora had to admit that it was the largest and nicest shower he had ever been in; it could easily fit another person besides just the two of them.

"I noticed." Riku sighed and reached behind Sora for a bottle. The brunet shifted so he wasn't in the way of the Silveret's arms.

"What are you doing?" He asked warily, ducking underneath his reach and moving to the other side of the shower. He tried his best not to be shy about being completely naked, but with Riku fully clothes it was still intimidating.

"I figured we'd take the time to familiarize ourselves with each other's new physiques." Riku explained, holding a bottle of expensive body wash.

"You often wash your pants with exfoliating soap?" Sora mentioned the fact that the Silveret was still partially dressed.

"No, not often. But I figured that since I undressed you, you'd want to return the favor." He winked suggestively and stood for the brunet to easily reach.

Sora sucked down his fear and hid it somewhere inside himself between his lungs and his stomach. Holding his breath (while still trying to seem as collected as possible) he reached out and took hold of the Silveret's compression shorts. He felt the tight elastic against his fingers and a wave of heat ran through him. Part of him was dying to see what was underneath.

He slowly pulled down the fabric and watched in excitement as water ran down the pale skin he revealed. Once Riku's clothes were completely off he kicked them into the corner to reside with Sora's.

"Who goes first?" Sora questioned when he rose to his feet. The Silveret stared at him with a look of lust before reaching into his pants pocket on the tile. He took out a quarter and showed it to the brunet.

"We'll flip for it?" Riku asked.

"I didn't realize that billionaires carried around loose change." Sora laughed, feeling some of his fear ebb away the longer they stood under the hot spray of the shower. The dim lighting in the room really did wonders for both of their appearances.

"You'll come to find that I'm very bad at being a billionaire." Riku chuckled deeply. "Okay, so heads and I go first, tails you go first?"

"Sounds fair to me. Flip it." Sora urged, eager to move on with the process. He watched as the shiny coin spun in the air and then landed in Riku's palm. He flipped it over onto the back of his hand and revealed the face. It had come up heads.

"Guess that's me, huh?" Riku practically purred, throwing the quarter back into the pile of discarded clothes. Sora felt his breath leave his chest in anticipation. He watched uneasily as Riku grabbed the bottle once more, poured some of the delicious smelling soap into his hands (Sora recognized the scent as Riku's designer brand of cologne and men's products, which had probably made the Silveret a small fortune), and rubbed them together, creating a soft lather which he then placed on Sora's shoulders. He smoothed some of the soap around before gently guiding the brunet out of the shower's spray.

"I'll get cold," He started to complain before Riku silenced him with a light nibble on his ear from behind.

"I promise I'll warm you up." The Silveret whispered before trailing his hands down Sora's back, resulting in the smaller man shivering.

It had been so long since Sora had been touched intimately. His caramel skin danced underneath Riku's every touch, coming alive at the Silveret's fingertips. He leaned his head back and sighed as Riku wrapped his hands around to the front of his body, pushing upward toward the brunet's throat. With his fingers splayed and palms forcibly moving their way across his flesh, Sora could feel the power radiating from the taller man's touch. There was a sense of desperation coming from the way Riku was gliding over his features, never touching anything too crude, but instead focusing on kneading his way over the brunet's wiry arms, toned legs, and taught back.

The gentleness of his fingers combined with the powerful strokes of his palms had Sora moaning. There was a part of him that wanted to stop his body from reacting the way it was. He wanted to run out of that bathroom screaming and never look back; but his mind's thoughts were pushed aside with every new touch as Riku explored his tanned skin. He was lost in a world of his own when the Silveret reached his hand around from behind and touched Sora's member, grasping it and slowly stroking.

The brunet gasped and then felt himself limply lean against Riku's form as the Silveret continued to touch him. Riku leaned one hand against the tile wall of the shower, letting both of their bodies be covered in the spray of the water. He kissed the smaller man's neck softly as he let his fingertips graze the soft flesh of Sora's erection. The brunet moaned and leaned further into his chest, clutching the back of Riku's legs for support. The Silveret felt fingers dig into his muscles as he began pumping Sora more feverishly and biting the brunet's neck and trailing toward his ear.

"Ngggh… Riku!" Sora called out, steadying himself against the taller man's frame as his vision began clouding. The Silveret felt a bit dirty using his secret weapon from when they were dating. There were two things Sora went crazy over: Leather and his ears. There was no faster way to turn the brunet on than a quick little nibble or even a soft, tantalizing lick. Hell, even the heat from Riku's breath on the side of his neck was enough to make Sora purr, but when teeth grazed his skin he was completely gone. The Silveret had a sneaking suspicion that his preferences hadn't changed much over the years, and so far he was half right. He'd have to wait to find out if the brunet still loved leather as much as he used to…

Sora mewled as Riku mercilessly touched him, alternating between feverishly fast pumps and agonizingly slow touches. Sora's hands had long since left the Silveret's legs and had traveled upward, wrapping themselves around Riku's neck. The two of them stood interlocked, Riku's front pressed against Sora's back as they clung together desperately. The shower drenched them with warm, inviting water as the brunet's breathing hitched and he began sputtering for words.

"Gonna…" Sora tried to talk, warning the Silveret, but Riku couldn't have cared less. He grasped Sora's member tightly, pumping furiously as the brunet struggled to hold back his orgasm. He couldn't hold on any longer, though, and with a low moan Sora came into the spray of the shower, letting all of his weight rest against Riku in his moment of bliss.

The Silveret treasured the seconds that Sora collapsed against him, shaking in pleasure as he rode out the waves of his orgasm. Riku could feel all of the brunet's muscles tense and his cock twitch while Sora struggled to stay standing. He supported the smaller man with his other free hand while moving them closer to the tiled wall. He used his hand to gently guide Sora's, which had been laced in his silver hair, out and toward the wall of the shower. The brunet shook slightly as he placed his palms on the tile, leaning into the wall. Riku used his foot to nudge Sora's legs apart slightly, then took a step back to admire the view.

Sora, spread with his hands and legs apart, ass out, and chest dipped in, was pure perfection. Every curve and every angle was exactly how Riku remembered it to be, or even better now that the brunet had an improved body. The dimples on his back had little pools of water in them from where it had run down his golden skin, and Riku could barely resist the urge to take him right then and there he looked so damn delicious.

"Riku?" Sora's breath sounded needy as he panted the Silveret's name. The rock star did his best to keep from moaning at the sound of that voice calling out for him.

"Do you want me to take you?" The billionaire moved his face so that it was a mere inch from the brunet's ear. His voice was low and scratchy as he spoke. Sora shivered and turned his head to face Riku's own. He stared into blazing sea foam eyes and bit his lip.

"Y-yes." Sora closed his eyes and felt his breath slip from his body. Riku smirked triumphantly and reached for the body gel once more (which he had conveniently designed to work as lube while in the production stage of development, for his own dirty persuasions, of course) and slathered some onto his fingers. He felt a rush of excitement go through him as he used his left hand to trail down Sora's ass, spreading him. The brunet sucked in air in anticipation, shifting his weight a bit on his legs.

Riku slipped in a finger and reveled in the feeling of tightness. His cock twitched at the thought of that tightness surrounding him, pushing against his own flesh, sliding across his member…

Sora gasped at the intrusion and wished desperately that he had something to cling to. The wall provided him with a solid surface to push against as Riku entered him deeper, stretching him in ways he hadn't felt for a long time. It had been years since someone had him this way, and Sora had forgotten just how good it felt. Another finger slipped in and slowly Sora adjusted, letting Riku scissor back and forth.

The Silveret felt his breathing pick up as anticipation nearly killed him. He wanted Sora to enjoy himself, though, and if he didn't prep the brunet correctly it'd be a nightmare and he'd never want to come back. He only had six months to enjoy this, and he was going to do it right, as horrible as waiting was. He slipped a third finger in, listening to the brunet hiss. He stretched and pulled and relished the feeling against his fingers, wishing it was a different part of him pushing inside the smaller man. After a minute he pulled his digits out and hovered over Sora, touching his member against the smaller man's entrance.

The brunet bit his lip at the feeling of Riku's length pressing against him. Flashes of memories came across his vision: He and Riku in his bed, on the dresser, on the floor. He remembered this feeling, the calm before the storm, and suddenly he couldn't wait any longer. He could feel something coiling with-in, pulling tightly in his stomach, and in order to release it he pressed his hips backward, feeling the Silveret press inside him.

Riku's imagination had supplied him with years' worth of dreams about having his way with Sora. Nothing he could have ever thought up compared to the reality of feeling the brunet surrounding him with unimaginable heat. Riku groaned as he pushed inside, slipping in easily at Sora's demanding thrust. He listened as the brunet moaned in delight, shifting his hips ever so slightly so that he became accustomed to the feeling of Riku inside him. As he shifted, the billionaire's member hit _that_ spot and blasted stars into Sora's vision.

"Riku!" He cried out, and with only the spray of the water for background noise, his voice echoed throughout the bathroom, ringing in the Silveret's ears. He took the cry of pleasure as a sign that Sora was ready for him to move. He slowly pulled back out of the smaller man, grasping his hips for leverage, and then pushed himself back inside, ramming in with incredible force. Sora gasped at the quickness of Riku's thrust, biting his lip to keep from screaming out again.

The rhythm continued, Riku pulling out of the brunet agonizingly slowly and then ramming in as hard as he could, slamming into Sora's prostate each time. The brunet was soon reduced to a panting, moaning, and screaming mess as the Silveret ravaged his body and took him for his own. Sora's frantic repetition of Riku's name had him slipping up his controlled motions, forgetting all about the tantalizing exploits of teasing the smaller man. He couldn't take the heat anymore, slamming in and out as fast and as deeply as he could.

Sora shook with the force of each thrust and moaned each time Riku pulled out, missing the feeling of being completely filled. He could feel his inside tightening and a fire burning hotter as each thrust took hold of him. He desperately grabbed at the wall, wishing he could wind his fingers through the Silveret's hair. He wanted something to hold onto as Riku fucked him crazy.

The Silveret dug his nails into the brunet's hips as he shoved them forward and backward with each pounding slam into Sora. Both men could barely contain their noises as Sora moaned and called out the Silveret's name and Riku growled each time the brunet's voice filled his ears. The shower sprayed down on them, washing away the sweat from their bodies as Riku sped up his thrusts even more. Sora, completely overwhelmed by the new rhythm, arched his back even more are Riku hit his prostate so hard he practically screamed.

"Oh my god… Oh my god! Riku, I'm gonna… nnnngh, Riku! Oh my god!" The smaller man practically melted as he came- _hard. _The rock star felt his temporary lover unwinding from the inside and groaned as Sora tightened around him. He thrust in as deeply as he could, spilling himself inside the brunet. They collapsed to the ground in the shower, Sora landing with Riku still inside him on top of the Silveret. For a moment they rode out their orgasms together, coiled around each other. They caught their breath under the hot spray.

"Holy shit…" Riku ran a hand through his hair and gently moved the brunet to the side, reluctantly sliding out of him. Sora frowned at the empty feeling and sat up underneath the shower's spray. He vaguely noticed that the nozzle had LED lights shining faintly on his skin.

"That's new." He pointed upward and Riku chuckled, sitting up to face him.

"We bumped it by accident." He showed Sora the switch on the tile wall that they had pressed up against while fucking. The brunet stared at it with his head cocked to the side, wondering when he had touched it. Riku stared at him, though, marveling in the adorable sight.

"Oh." Sora mumbled. He looked at himself, clean and sparkling (if not a bit pruney from being in the water so long), and suddenly realized just how dirty he felt. He had just been fucked senseless by someone other than his fiancé. He had _screamed_ Riku's name for practically all of the city to hear.

"You okay?" Riku noticed the shift from playful confusion in Sora's expression to a suddenly cloudy look. The brunet tried to stand up but wobbled on his legs. The rock star jumped to his aid, helping him to his feet.

"Yeah. I should go." Sora mentioned as casually as he could. He frowned at his clothes in the corner and Riku did his best to smile even though he knew something was wrong.

"Borrow something of mine. It's not like I'll never see you again, _right_?" He hadn't meant to sound so accusatory, or _needy_, for that matter. Riku mentally smacked himself. _Of course you'll see him tomorrow, you're blackmailing him! _The Silveret's conscience berated him. _It's only for a little while. Just until he realizes we're meant for each other…_ He tried to explain it to himself, but he still felt wrong for what he was doing to the brunet.

"Right." Sora agreed, walking out of the shower. Riku grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his smaller form, loving the contrast of the white against his tan skin. Sora clung to the fabric around him, hugging it tightly as Riku guided him to one of his dressers. He gave the brunet a pair of sweatpants (he had nearly a thousand) and a v-neck to wear. Both were a little bit too big on the smaller man, but a surge of warmth went through Riku as he looked at Sora wearing his clothes. "Well, thanks." Sora awkwardly half-waved at the Silveret and practically dashed toward the door. Riku made sure the coast was clear and that Axel was still in his bedroom before letting Sora out of his section of the penthouse. He watched, disappointed, as Sora scurried his way out of the shared hotel space and through the door, out of view.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters of Kingdom Hearts, or the ideas from Kingdom hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**


	10. Chapter 10

_Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Sora groaned, looking at his cell phone. The alarm had gone off all too soon. He would have much preferred to spend his early morning sleeping, maybe catching a late brunch, and staying curled up on the couch with a good book or two. But no, it was Saturday, and Saturday mornings weren't for the peaceful rest he had cherished them for in childhood.

"Sun's up, Sora." Roxas came barreling into his room, blinding him as he opened the curtains on the other side of the bed. The brunet blearily blinked and pulled the covers up over his head.

"Every other day of the week _I'm _the one dragging your ass out of bed, you know." Sora whined, trying to block out as much of the offensive sun as possible. Roxas chuckled softly before ripping the covers away.

"Oh, I am _well _aware. That's why I get such a kick out of this." Rox dangled the comforter in front of Sora as the other man moaned in protest. Slowly but surely the brunet rose to his feet, glaring at the perkier man.

"You're lucky I love you." He threatened weakly before trudging his way to the bathroom. Roxas padded along after him, sing-songing as he spoke.

"I love you _toooooooo_," He chirped out, gleefully veering into the kitchen instead of into the bathroom with his friend. Sora closed the door behind him and sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He was absolutely exhausted from the night before. He wished he could shower, but there was just no point. He'd be gross in the matter of an hour anyway. He might as well save it for when he'd need it most.

The brunet did, however, take the time to scrub his face viciously in order to rub some life into himself. The cold water he splashed over it once he was done helped him energize, and he shook his head and buzzed out of his lips as it hit his skin. He patted the flesh a few times with a towel, hanging it back up to dry. He looked in the mirror, slightly surprised he didn't look half as bad as he felt. How long had it been since he had a proper night's sleep? It seemed like years.

"Sora? You almost ready?" Roxas called out to him from the kitchen, banging around and making a clatter with the cupboards.

"Ready as I'll ever be." The brunet shrugged as he walked into the room to join the vivacious little blond. He was now loudly using the blender, throwing together assorted fruits with the yogurt and ice. Sora yawned before grabbing the coffee pot. Roxas slapped his hand away before he could fill a cup.

"If you drink coffee you're just going to have to poop." He scowled. The brunet rolled his eyes and reached for the cup again, but Rox kept jutting his arm in the way.

"I am fully aware of the effects coffee has on my body, but thank you for paying such close attention." The brunet and the blond were now full out dueling for the coffee pot. Roxas snatched it away from Sora's clutches and poured the fragrant brew down the drain. The writer made a noise as if he had just been stabbed, gaping in horror at the sink. He composed himself and punched Roxas in the arm, hard. "What did you do that for?!" Sora exclaimed.

"I let you run my life 24/7, every day of the week, every week of the year. Saturday mornings are my time to be in control of _something_, and you are not going to ruin that by needing to dip out on me for a bathroom break!" Roxas crossed his arms, causing his athletic shirt to shift. The blond looked awfully sporty in his baby blue tank top, navy basketball shorts, and running shoes. He pouted at bit, staring Sora down, hoping the brunet would crack. Eventually, as per usual, he did.

"Fine." He sighed, as Roxas beamed in return. "But don't expect me to be happy about it. You know how much I hate this." Sora shook his head and walked out of the kitchen, headed toward his room in order to change. He figured that showing up to the gym in his flannel bottoms wasn't the best idea.

"You're always too busy worrying to be happy, Sor-rah." Roxas called after him as the brunet closed his door. He dragged his hands down his face in exasperation. Saturday mornings were the worst.

The two men showed up at the gym right on time in the Rusty Stallion. Sora turned the car off and frowned at the building, hating the apprehension that the place gave him. Sure, he looked good and all, but was it really worth all the sweating and panting? There were plenty of other ways he could do those two things that didn't involve a treadmill and _did_ involve a Silveret.

_Red head. You meant red head!_ Sora scolded himself, his frown growing even deeper. _You're engaged to Kairi!_

"Earth to Sora?" Roxas waved a hand in front of his friend's face. When the brunet came around and jumped back in his seat at the proximity of the blond's hand, Rox let out a small laugh. "What's up with you this morning?" He asked curiously. "You're acting weird." He explained.

"I'm okay, Rox. I'm just a bit tired." He shrugged his shoulders and yawned, furthering his point. He unbuckled and got out of the car, hoping to avoid any more questioning form the blond. Knowing his best friend though, he didn't expect much.

"Yeah, where were you last night? You weren't in when I got home," Roxas mentioned as he closed his own door. The Rusty Stallion creaked with the motion and Rox gave the car a wary look before catching up with his friend, already halfway to the entrance.

"I stayed late at the Cabaret. You must have missed me somehow." Sora lied, hoping he would drop the subject.

"…Okay." Rox eyed him even more warily than he had the car. They made it inside the gym and immediately headed for one of the more private work out rooms. This was where they had their appointment with the great ninja— "Yuffie!" Roxas called out lovingly, giving the girl a huge hug, even though he had seen her at the Cabaret just hours before. She smiled back at him when he pulled away, hands on her hips.

"You two never keep a girl waiting. It's a shame neither of you are straight." She clicked her tongue disapprovingly before slipping on her work-out gloves.

Yuffie had gone to school to be a dance teacher and later went on to get a certification to be a personal trainer. Before she started working at the Cabaret she had owned her own dance studio. It had been a small business with few customers, but it had kept her relatively happy before it went under. That was three years ago, though, and ever since then she had been training people during the day, incorporating dance into her work-out routines to strengthen core muscles and flexibility. At night, however, she was one of the lead female dancers alongside Roxas. Between her, Rox, and Zexion, they choreographed one hell of a show.

"Keep your voice down!" Sora hissed at her, looking around the private room in paranoia. Yuf rolled her eyes and grabbed the brunet by the arm, dragging him toward his designated mat. "And I'm getting married to a woman, remember?" He sounded annoyed as he sat down on the plush rubber and laced his tennis shoes.

"Marrying a girl doesn't make you straight, honey." She smiled sweetly before patting him on the back. Sora muttered under his breath, something along the lines of Cabaret dancers and where they could stick their tap shoes. Roxas snickered and jumped to his feet, doing a small little jog in place.

"He's just cranky today. Don't mind him." He apologized for Sora's rudeness and yanked the brunet to his feet as well. The writer let out a small yelp before gently rubbing his attacked wrist.

"It's the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning and you two plan on throwing my ass down on that mat upwards of twenty times. Of course I'm cranky." He replied snarkily, though it was obvious to the dancers that there was a trace of humor in his voice.

"We'll warm that blood up and then we'll see if you're still such a grump." Yuffie beamed at him, using the remote in her hands to start up the CD player. It whirred to life, greeting them with a cheerful HELLO written across the screen, and blared upbeat music through the speakers above. Sora rolled his eyes the once he recognized the song. Could he not escape this stupid band?

**Anthony works in the grocery store, savin' his pennies for some day. Mama Leone left a note on the door- She said "Sonny move out to the country".**

As the music began playing, Riku's voice filled the private work out room. The glossy wooden floors and the mirrored walls bounced the sound of his melodic tenor all around, making the air pregnant with rich noise. The brunet tried his best to ignore the familiar voice and instead focused on the warm-up Yuffie was having them copy.

**Ah but working too hard can give you a **_**heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack**_**!**

As Sora pulled his knees as close to his chest as he could, running in place quickly, he felt his foot-steps line up with every "ack" the Silveret crooned out. He felt a pang of nostalgia run through him. He could remember the day he wrote those lyrics, playfully joking around with his once boyfriend. It had all been for fun back then, and he never really thought that he'd hear those words over the radio. He never really thought that an inside joke shared between the two of them would be adored by fans everywhere.

**You ought-a know by now. Who needs a house out in Hackensack? Is that all you get for your money?**

The three of them began their warm-up punches and high kicks, feeling their blood begin to rush. Sora hated and loved this part of the morning. There was something so thrilling about his heart pumping and lungs filling, but the eventual fatigue that would follow always made the excitement less enjoyable.

**And if that's what you have in mind- Then that's what you're all about. Good luck, movin' up, 'cause I'm movin' out. **_**I'm movin' out.**_

They finished the warm-up song as Riku's voice, filled with frustration and discontent in the song, snapped the final words. Yuffie and Roxas exchanged high-fives as Sora reached for his water bottle. It was going to be a long morning.

* * *

Axel remembered going to bed alone, so- when he gently woke and opened his eyes to a face full of blond, silky hair- he was mildly concerned. He blinked a few times, wondering if he had remembered the events of the night before correctly. He _had_ gone to bed alone, hadn't he?

Maybe he hadn't. Maybe he had just imagined Roxie pushing him away at the Cabaret. He had never been rejected by a girl before, after all, and it seemed strange that a woman who was so obviously into him would be the first to say no. He was probably just dreamed that she'd pushed him away. It was probably her blonde hair in the bed next to him.

When the other person rolled over and revealed a set of blue eyes staring back at him, Axel narrowed his own.

"Demyx," He snapped, his tone annoyed. His dreams of waking up next to the Cabaret dancer were crushed. "What have I told you about sneaking into my room?" He shoved the bass player out of his bed. The other man let out a yelp before hitting the ground.

"But I get so lonely downstairs! Marlu and Larx are out on a date today, and Riku's sulking in his room," He mentioned, obviously having already tried to bother the Silveret. "And that just leaves you." He peeked his head over the side of the bed.

The band, carefully constructed of four main members (Riku, Axel, Demyx, and Marluxia), liked to mostly keep to themselves. Sure, they had a few random musicians that they hired to play other instruments when songs required more than guitar, bass, piano, and drums, and every now and then they'd group up with another set of famous people to hang out with, but it was normally just them. They were all very close-knit, seeing as they spent every second of every day together for the past ten years. After Riku, Demyx was Axel's closest friend, so it wasn't exactly strange to find the hyper blond in his bed, eagerly waiting for him to wake up so they could hang out, when he happened to be under stimulated without other activities to keep himself occupied. This was the usual occurrence on date day, when both Marluxia (Dem's go-to entertainment while Axel is busy) and Larxene (the mother figure that normally kept Demyx in-line) were busy sucking face and being lovey without the sneering jokes and jests of the rest of the band.

"You couldn't have at least waited until after noon?" Axel groaned as he looked at the clock. Dem jumped back up onto the bed, happy that his friend was acknowledging his presence. If Axel ignored him, it meant that he was refusing to get up and that Dem would have to try again later. But the moan of protest was signal enough that the blond could continue with his assault.

"If we waited until after noon, we couldn't get lunch!" Dem whined. His hair flowed toward his neck from the top of his head, except where it was shaved on the sides. All of the band members had signature long hair, and the blond had been no exception until about a year prior. The media exploded when he shaved his hair off the sides and chopped the length right before the band's huge international tour. Girls who had been in love with his hair mourned, and others went ballistic over the 'new and improved' bass player. People debated about it for days, arguing if old Dem or new Dem was hotter, which member of the band would chop it off next, and whether or not it hurt their image to no longer be uniform. It seemed crazy to Axel that hair could cause such a controversy, and reminded himself that if he ever needed to start a riot, he could just take a razor to his fiery locks.

"Who says?" The red head stretched before rolling out of bed. He headed for the dresser and threw on a pair of jeans and a black v-neck. He figured they wouldn't be leaving the hotel. No need to look nice, since the paparazzi weren't allowed within five blocks of the place.

"I says!" Dem exclaimed, excitedly dragging Axel out of the door. Riku was exiting his room at the same time, wrapped up in a navy blue robe. He held a slight smirk on his face as he watched the puppy-like blond drag the tattooed man.

"Mornin'," He saluted the two men before moving to get himself some coffee. He let his bare feet pad their way across the kitchen floor. The black tiles felt cool underneath his toes.

"Riku, you're up!" Dem smiled and waved with his free hand. "Want to get some lunch with us?"

"Nah, I haven't even had breakfast. I don't think I'm awake enough for lunch." Riku chuckled softly while stirring his cup of Joe.

"You and me both." Axel rolled his eyes as he was taken across the living room.

"Well, have fun!" The Silveret called out to them cheerfully, Demyx smiling back and Axel flipping him off. He shook his head in amusement as the two left the suite. The bass player had always given the two more somber men a run for their money. Marluxia seemed immune to Demyx's constant rambling, babbling, and effortless energy. Axel and Riku, however, were still struggling to fully grasp their chatterbox friend even after ten years. They loved him all the same, though.

Riku stretched and looked around the empty hotel suite. He had gone to bed and gotten up earlier than usual, no doubt tired from his previous night's exploits. He nearly shivered, remembering what had happened in the shower just hours before. It didn't seem real to him yet. It had to have been a dream, right? There was no way that after ten years of being apart, Sora had just waltzed into his life, into his suite, and into his shower.

Rather than wonder about the reality of the situation, Riku decided to revel in the satisfaction. He had slept with Sora again. Sure, it hadn't been the same are before, but did it really matter? They had six months to get back to the level they had been at when they broke up.

_You mean when you left him? It wasn't a break up. Break ups are mutual._ Riku frowned, thinking to himself. He hadn't meant to hurt Sora. He didn't want to leave. But there are some choices that aren't right or wrong, they're not black and white. Riku's life was a whole lot of grey back then, and the music industry wouldn't have tolerated the shade. No, he had to walk in a different light in order to succeed, and succeed he did.

But was all his success: the riches, the fame, the glory—was it all worth losing him?

* * *

There was nothing Sora could do but wait for impact. Rox's fist came flying at him, catching him off guard, and the brunet didn't have enough time to block or counter it. He simply waited for the bones to connect with his mask, sending a dull pain into his senses. He hit the mat after the punch landed, collapsing on the gym floor.

"Come on, Scoots! Is that all you got?" Roxas cried out, sounding strange with his mouth guard in. He called Sora by his childhood nick name, obviously trying to get a rise out of the brunet. The writer was spent, though, and held up a phantom white flag in surrender. "Hah, done already? It's only been an hour!" Roxas exclaimed, proud of himself. Yuffie clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"Sora, you're an absolute nightmare today. You got your ass handed to you." She helped him take off his boxing gloves and leg pads. The brunet took off his soft helmet once his hands were freed and gave them both a look of disapproval.

"Thanks, but I'm already aware that I got the shit kicked out of me." He grimaced as he shifted his weight. His ass was smarting something fierce. It had been such a long time since he had—

_Don't even think about it, West! _Sora scolded himself. _Roxas will sniff out those dirty thoughts in a heartbeat._

The blond had been practicing self-defense ever since he got out of the hospital and was able to function properly. Sora, a dedicated and loyal friend, stayed true to his promise of helping Roxas cope in any way that he could. Getting beat up every Saturday morning in an attempt to make the blond stronger, faster, and essentially safer, was part of the deal. It didn't mean Sora particularly _enjoyed_ getting hit, but with every punch Rox landed and every kick he stuck, Sora knew that his best friend was healing. That made it all worth it.

Even if they struggled to afford the membership.

When Sora had come home the night before, wearing Riku's clothes and hoping to God Roxie wouldn't be awake to questioned where they came from, he had seen all of the bills on the coffee table. Each red amount added up to far more than the two of them could make during a month, even with Rox's new assistant job. The brunet had spent a good thirty minutes after reading each letter going over their budget. What could they cut? What could they live without? They had already sacrificed so much, and it seemed as if they were getting down to the bare bones of their spending.

There were days that the brunet wondered how they'd make it. Pretty soon they wouldn't even be able to make rent. Sora had saved up some money for a rainy day and Rox had saved some to move to New York before the incident, but it was depleting quickly. Could they hold out the six months it would take to get their royalties for the book? Some days it looked bleak.

What was worse, in Sora's mind, was that Rox had seen the bills. Normally he was good about leaving all that to Sora. When he was in the hospital, the blond had given the brunet full jurisdiction over his bank accounts, information, and practically everything else in his life. Sora consumed Rox's responsibilities and snatched them away from the blond, leaving the dancer to focus on getting better. Since he was still in the process, Sora had done his best to keep the harshness away from his friend. He would give the blond a rough estimate of where they were at financially, since they had started living as a unit when Rox left his rehabilitation program, but he never told him too much information for the sake of living in ignorant bliss.

But Roxas had seen those nasty, red, demanding bills. He had opened them all and could easily have totaled them up, doing the math as to how they'd be even further in debt. Sora didn't want to add more to Rox's plate than he could chew. He had been through so much—hell, he was still _going_ through _a lot_. Money was supposed to be Sora's albatross and his alone. He felt guilty, having forgotten to get the mail. He was supposed to take care of these things. He was supposed to take care of _Roxas_.

"Maybe if you'd practice a bit more, you wouldn't be in pain." Yuf stuck her tongue out before smiling playfully, bringing Sora out of his deep train of thought. "Let's take a break, guys. I'm going to go hit on the guy behind the smoothie bar. You two play nice while I'm gone!" She called out as she left the room.

Roxas plopped down on the mat beside Sora and narrowed his eyes, inspecting the brunet up and down. The writer felt himself blush as Roxas peered over his features, observing the way he was moving, fidgeting, and squirming.

There was an unspoken connection between the two boys. Over the years of their friendship, Roxas had gotten impeccably good at reading the brunet without having to do anything but look at him. Sora was a very expressive person without meaning to be. His eyes were incapable of hiding anything, and his features always held a trace of what he was feeling. Roxas had fine-tuned his abilities within the past six months. There was a lot that Sora tried to keep hidden from him (for his own good, of course), and the only way he could figure it out was by reading what little the brunet offered him.

"Oh my god…" The blond finally spoke after a minute, jaw dropping in realization. "Oh my god, ohmygod, omaigawd!" The words blurred together, coming out as one singular squeal. His powers of detection hadn't failed him.

"What?!" Sora yelled, frustrated that his friend wouldn't just spit it out. Did he have something in his teeth? Did he forget to clean out his ears? What was so scream worthy that Roxas was freaking out about?

"_You slept with Riku, didn't you?!_" Roxas looked around, making sure the coast was clear, before hissing and grabbing both sides of Sora's face. Unable to respond while being grabbed, Sora's skin turned ashen. "Oh my God, you _did_. Oh my God." Roxas let go of the brunet, who immediately stammered to remedy the situation.

"I did not! Where are you even getting this from?" Sora tried to defend himself, make up a lie, or simply melt into the floor. None of the options seemed to be working.

"You weren't home last night, you're more tired than usual-" Roxas started before Sora cut him off.

"Those could be from anything!" He exclaimed.

"You have a hickey on your neck." Rox interjected, raising his eyebrows. "And you can barely sit on your ass. He _totally_ fucked you." The blond crossed his arms, knowing he was right.

The brunet sputtered, reeling from the facts Roxas had thrown in his face. There was no way he could deny it, but he couldn't exactly tell the truth, either. If Roxas knew that Sora was whoring himself out to the Silveret in exchange for the book, he'd never hear the end of it until Sora finally stopped. If Rox knew that Sora was doing it for the sake of the Cabaret, then the blond would be miserable, knowing he had to choose between his best friend's integrity and their livelihoods. He couldn't put a burden like that on Roxas.

"It was a mistake, Rox." Sora admitted to his crimes, holding his hands up in defeat. The blond screamed, suddenly flying to his feet. His gym shorts swished in the air from the sudden upward velocity.

"I _knew_ it!" He cried out with glee, dancing around. "I _knew_ you two were going to get back together. It was just a matter of time, being locked in that room with him all day."

"I said it was a mistake! No one is getting back together with anybody!" Sora cried out, trying to stop the rampage his little blond was about to begin. "I'm marrying Kairi. I love Kairi."

"Really? Because I think your dick says otherwise." Roxas pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows at his friend. Sora scowled and crossed his arms.

"Roxas, you better drop this. I don't care what you think you know, you know _nothing._" Sora explained.

"But Sora—"

"_Drop. It."_ The writer hissed just as Yuffie came back into the room. He dropped his aggressive demeanor and smiled at the black haired "ninja".

"Did you two have fun while mommy was gone?" She teased them, sipping on a smoothie she must have either bought or flirted her way into possessing.

"Loads." Roxas sneered, giving as pointed look to Sora. The brunet sighed before looking at the clock.

"It's already eleven? When did that happen?" He wondered out loud, rubbing his temples. He quickly grabbed his gym bag and Roxie's arm. "Sorry Yuffie, but we've got to go." He grabbed the blond's gym bag with the same hand as his own and struggled to carry all of the equipment while still leading Roxas out the exit. Yuffie chuckled and opened the door for them.

"Got an appointment with the doctor from the Hah-Hah Hilton?" She lovingly kissed Roxas on the cheek as the men exited the room. The blond smiled sheepishly before Sora dragged him along.

They piled into the Rusty Stallion and immediately roared toward the freeway. Roxas busied himself with changing into clean clothes while Sora focused on driving, swerving in and out of traffic. They were behind schedule and there wasn't a whole lot that bothered Sora, but being late was definitely on the list.

The duo clambered out of the car the moment it stopped moving and Sora had taken out the keys. They slammed their doors and briskly walked into the prestigious hospital, waving cheerily at the receptionist at the front desk.

"Morning, boys." She gave them a soft smile before handing Sora some paperwork. The brunet grinned back and exchanged pleasantries while constantly moving, rushing with Rox toward the elevators. He snuck a pen off of her desk as the receptionist rolled her eyes. "I expect that back when you leave." She pretended to scold before taking her seat and answering a call on her headset.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd say you have a thing for her." Rox laughed as they scrambled inside the elevator before the doors closed. Visitors and staff gave them an annoyed look while they settled themselves inside the already cramped quarters.

"She's blonde—most definitely not my type." Sora replied, flashing a smirk in the singer's direction. Rox snorted before biting his lip, holding in a laugh.

"Don't knock it till you try it, West." He wiggled his eyebrows as they exited the elevator. The two were once again rushing down the hall, scurrying toward the ward they both knew so well. They flew into the psychiatric section and entered their key code, watching as the doors opened for them. They stepped their way in and entered a different code this time, the next set of doors sliding open as well.

"Good morning, you two! Wait, it's still morning, right?" Their favorite nurse, Yuna, greeted them cheerfully before spinning around wildly, looking for a clock on the walls. "Oh, good!" She exclaimed after finding one and checking the time. "Sometimes I lose track of myself on this unit. Pretty soon they're going to strap me down and give me a bed." She laughed and brushed her hair back out of her eyes.

"Whoa there, Yuna. I don't know if even the best psych ward in the nation can handle you." Roxas winked before blowing her a kiss and moving past her nurses' station. She reached to stop him before hearing a shout from the open activity area.

"I'm dying! Help, I've been shot!"

"Heather, you're fine!" Yuna called back, rolling her eyes. Sora held his hand up to stop her from moving.

"I'll go get her." He explained, and received a loving smile in return.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Sora." She returned to her charting and left the brunet to attend to the patient.

Sora walked over to the middle aged woman and smiled softly. She backed away at first, not looking at his face, but once she recognized him she grabbed on to his arm and held it tightly, almost painfully so. Sora knew better than to pull away, though, and gently touched her hands with his free one.

"I'm dying!" She cried out, staring at him in horror. She took one of her hands off of his wrist and pulled at her shirt, revealing the bullet wound scar at was healing.

"Heather, it's me, Sora." The brunet looked the woman in the eye and spoke to her sternly. "You're not being hurt. You're at the hospital."

"What?" The woman stared at him, confused. Sora gently took her arm and removed it from his, showing her the wristband she was wearing. He pointed to her name and slowly wrapped his free hand around her shoulders, rubbing the skin.

"See? You're here because you were mugged outside your work in the parking ramp. You suffer from PTSD episodes and you were just experiencing one. You're safe now. You're here because you need to see the doctor for daily therapy sessions and have to have controlled substances from the nurses. Remember?" The brunet reminded her before realization hit her eyes. She relaxed in his grip and sighed, looking around at the other patients. Some of them eyed her in annoyance, obviously having been through this before. She waved at them sheepishly before her gaze traveled to the more sever patients, some of them sedated on anti-behavior medications and some of them being acxtively watched by the guards in avoidance of self-harm.

"Oh, Sora. I'm so embarrassed." Heather admitted, hugging the smaller brunet. He rubbed her back and pulled away, smiling.

"Hey there, don't be. You're getting faster at coming out of those episodes." He stated with pride.

"I wish I didn't have them at all. I'd be out of here so much faster if I could keep it together." She sighed, looking out the window at the city longingly. Roxas snuck up beside them, resting his head on Sora's shoulder.

"It's all a process, honey. It took me a whole year to be back into the functioning, normal society again." Rox winked at her and kissed Sora's cheek. "All thanks to this hunky man." He nodded toward the brunet. Sora rolled his eyes and shoved the blond to the side.

"Why aren't you in your appointment?" He scolded, ushering the other man toward his psychiatrist's door.

"Yikes! Pushy, pushy." Rox scrunched his nose up and strut away from the pair, rapping his knuckles on the wooden door. It opened slowly as another patient exited the room, giving the blond a wave. The singer waved back before sauntering in and flopping down on the plush leather couch. Everything in the room was a stark contrast to the white, sterile feel of the Psych ward. This room was intimate and cozy, with dark green walls and brown, rich furniture. The large wooden desk in the back was cluttered with neat, organized bins and a large computer, but there was still enough room for a picture frame with smiling children in it. Roxas loved that picture.

"You're late." The door closed behind Roxas and footfall filled the room.

"I'm always late, Doc. I was too busy seeking out dangerous behavior because I wasn't loved enough as a child and now I need the attention to feel validated in the cruel, apathetic eyes of society." The blond smirked as his psychiatrist sat down across from him. Luxord curled his lips into a thin frown with a hint of a smile in the corners.

Luxord was a pretty simple man, which seemed ironic due to the caliber of people he worked with. Normally psychology majors were pretty fucked up themselves, but he was your average Joe with no real problems. He had a beautiful wife and three even more beautiful children. He finished medical school with flying colors and had been practicing at the hospital ever since. He was the best psychiatrist in the entire nation but was humble and never bragged. He liked to paint in his spare time, though he wasn't very good, and deep down in his heart he always had a love for strawberry ice cream.

Roxas was told all of this right off the bat when he started seeing Dr. Luxord Rettin, and every curiosity it sprung from the blond was answered as long as Roxas cooperated. The blond assumed that the doctor was used to patients not cooperating with much ease, but the singer was determined to get better at any cost. The first few meetings were spent with feverish questioning from the blond, while Roxas discovered all he could about his condition and how to manage it. The rest of the year and a half had been spent doing just that: managing it.

"I see you're reading up on your useless Freudian psych, then? Going to tell me that you have an Oedipus complex, next?" Luxord placed his hands in his lap and set his voice recorded on the small coffee table in-between them. Roxas' mind flashed to the recorder that he had used for the interview the day before and felt a twinge of embarrassment go through him. He was trying his hardest to not think about the red-head and how he had left him there alone in that room.

"Absolutely. I've switched to women now, and specifically Mary Hart." Roxas replied sarcastically, drawling out his mother's name.

"I doubt it. How have you been, Roxas? It's been a whole week since I've seen you. Do you feel these less frequent meetings are working for you?" Luxord barraged him with questions.

"I think meeting three times every two weeks isn't so bad. I haven't felt myself slipping, yet, if that's what you're asking." Roxas stated happily. His mind traveled to the night before, however, and how he had lost control for a few moments. "Actually," he started again, biting his lip. "I guess I did have a tiny episode yesterday.

"An episode? You haven't had one of those is quite some time." Luxord sounded intrigued as he spoke.

"I know," Rox licked his lips before continuing. "I think I was just confused. I haven't really kissed anyone since this whole thing happened, and I think my body started freaking out from the novelty of it all. Not to mention the circumstance."

"You kissed?"

"Yeah, I… uh… I met someone."

"Someone?" Luxord raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. And… things maybe are getting out of hand." Rox admitted.

"I thought we agreed that you weren't ready for a serious relationship yet. Or… is that not what this is? Because I thought we _also_ agreed that it's ill-advised for you to be sleeping around at this stage in your recovery-" Luxord began to scold the blond, but Roxas cut him off.

"No, no! It's not like that." He sighed. "I didn't sleep with him, and I don't plan on it. He's _straight._"

"And you've become infatuated with him?"

"And he's become infatuated with _Roxie_." The blond waited for the shit-storm to follow.

"So you're telling me that you've become romantically involved with a straight man who has no idea that you're both genders, and that this has caused you to have an episode?" Luxord questioned.

"…yes?" Rox cringed and looked up at the doctor in fear.

"You're hopeless." He pursed his lips and frowned. "Roxas I specifically warned you about something like this."

"But you don't understand, Lux!" He cried out. "He's the most gorgeous man on the planet."

"I don't care if he's the attractive, rich, or famous, Roxas! You can't compromise your recovery!" Dr. Rettin scolded before seeing the look on his patient's face. "Oh, for Christ's sake, what?"

"Well… what if he's all of those things?" Rox fake smiled in hope. Luxord's face fell.

"Roxas…"

"It's Axel Andrus."

"…Come again?"

"Axel Andrus. As in _The World That Never Was_' Axel Andrus."

"You're lying to me." Luxord squinted. "You have never lied to me before."

"I'm not lying!" Roxas exclaimed, defending himself. "I got a new job as Sora's assistant at the publishing house. CityRise is doing a biography on the band, so Sora and I need to do their interviews to write the book." Roxas explained. "I'm the one interviewing Axel, and he's only seen me as Roxie so far. He comes to the Cabaret, too, and so he's seen me perform. He… he uh, _bought_ me last night. We only kissed a few times but I started to hear _his_ voice in my head. Taunting me, you know? Things he said when it happened. Things I used to hear during real episodes. But I was able to push it away and take control again. I refuse to let him hurt me any more than he already has."

They stared at each other for a moment, the doctor and the singer, seemingly both soaking in what was said. Luxord had always felt a strong pull toward Roxas, though the little blond seemed to do that with most people he encountered. There was something about the effortless enthusiasm, wit, and energy that he exuded that drew people in and made them fall in love. It was no wonder that Axel Andrus was no exception; still, Dr. Rettin couldn't help but worry. Roxas was fragile behind that exuberant shell, and any little crack could cause him to crumble.

"Do you think that continuing his advances would be a good idea?" Luxord seemed contemplative when he finally spoke.

"No." Roxas spat with dark humor.

"And why is that?"

"Because no matter how much I look in the mirror and see a woman, he will always see a man once he knows." Roxas looked at the floor and tried his best to hold back tears. It had been awhile since he'd cried in this room, but he knew it wouldn't be the last time.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters of Kingdom Hearts, or the ideas from Kingdom hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**

**Music this Chapter**

**Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) - Billy Joel**


	11. Chapter 11

Larxene and Marluxia arrived back at the hotel in just enough time for Axel to ship Demyx off onto them for the night. The blond happily accepted the change in company and let the two main singers off the hook. The three had spent the day aggressively playing video games. It hard started out as a pretty fun adventure, since they weren't used to having all that much leisure time, but as the gaming went on they realized that Demyx was far too energetic for their tired, relatively relaxed moods that day. They loved him dearly, but _jeez_, he was so much to handle.

"Are you two headed out again?" Larx asked them, removing her leather coat. She looked slick in her outfit; her teal leggings were covered up by black high heeled boots, and her grey tank top had been hidden underneath the jacket. Her hair was brushed back with nothing but her signature antennas out of place, and her smoky eyes gave her a sense of edgy hotness. Marlu kept one arm around her waist as he poured them both a drink from Riku and Axel's kitchen. The band spent most of their free time in the large living area that the front men shared. They were all so used to being in such close quarters during tours that having two whole floors to themselves seemed almost a bit too spacious; they preferred using the one until it came time for bed.

"Yeah, we're going to go check out the city some more." Riku replied nonchalantly. He sat down on the black and white striped armchair in the living room and turned to face the couple in the kitchen. He laced up his boots as they conversed.

"Well, do you need a driver?" Larxene inquired, sipping at her wine gingerly.

"I'm going to take Electra." Axel came in to the living area from his bedroom with Kida practically walking on his heels. The dog spotted her master and bounded away toward the Silveret. The rock-star gave her a few kisses and scratched behind her ears before continuing to tie his shoes.

"Wear a God damn helmet." The mother figure narrowed her eyes and pointed at the red-head. He held his hands up in defense before sliding out of her gaze onto the couch. "I mean it, Axel! If I catch another picture of you in a magazine riding that deathtrap without a helmet I will personally see to it that you never ride another motorcycle again." She threatened.

"Yikes, Ax!" Demyx laughed as he dug through the fridge. "Mama bear is pulling out the claws tonight." He laughed through a mouth full of yogurt. The red head stuck his tongue out playfully at him before addressing Larxene.

"I'll wear a helmet if it makes you happy. Can I go play with the other kids outside now, Mom?" Axel teased her. The blonde rolled her eyes and took a generous gulp of her wine before ignoring Axel's jest completely. She turned her attention toward the other front man. He had always been the less infuriating of the two.

"And how will you be getting home, Riku?" She questioned. The Silveret tied the top of his boot and stood up, brushing the dog hair off of his pants.

"I'll get a cab back here or something. I'm okay without a driver, I promise." He knew well enough that it would be a certain brunet driving him back and sneaking into his room, but Larxene didn't need to be in on his little secret just yet.

"Are you sure? It's no problem at all, I can easily call up the chauffer—" Larx began to protest, but Riku cut her off as he walked into the kitchen.

"I promise, mother dearest." He stole a sip of her wine before ducking out of her reach. Larxene may have found him the less irritating out of the two singers, but only by a hair. The front men escaped her narrowed eyes and crossed arms by fleeing out the door.

"One of these days…" She shook her head before leaning into her husband's chest. Marluxia smiled softly, stroking her hair.

"You say that every day, Larx." He kissed her ear before pouring her another glass of wine. Demyx busied himself with putting in a movie while the couple listened to the sound of microwave popcorn cooking behind them.

"And one of these days I'll actually mean it." She cracked a smile before reaching for the small appliance's door once she heard a satisfying _ding_.

* * *

The Cabaret was in shambles when Roxie and Sora arrived—late, as per usual.

"Oh thank God you're here!" Cloud shouted to them from inside the dressing room. "Sora, I need your help!" He called for the brunet before shooing Roxie off to get ready for the night. "Put your face on, girlfriend!"

"On it, Chief!" She responded in a bubbly tone. She scurried off to her vanity and began tearing at different make-up bags, struggling to get them to release their contents for her. Sora casually walked his way over to where the blond was standing behind a row of identical black leotards. Cloud's hair was disheveled, his shirt was covered in dust, and his signature cobalt blue converse were tangled in a mess of fabric that was stuck under the rack of leotards.

"Save me?" Cloud pouted at the brunet as he clung to the rack, trying not to topple the whole thing over.

"Cloud, you're an absolute disaster." Sora shook his head before getting on his knees and unwrapping the blond's feet. Once he was free the owner wrapped his arms around the smaller man's neck, showering his cheeks with kisses.

"Oh, darling, you're an angel!" He pulled away from the bartender before throwing a shimmering gold bowtie in his direction. "Here, wear this tonight. You're my shining star." He beamed at his employee before rushing off to make sure the dancers were all getting ready.

"If he was any gayer this place would be sitting at the end of a rainbow." A relatively bored, yet slightly amused voice spoke to the writer. Sora turned around to see Zexion standing in his costume, leaning against one of the pillars in the middle of the dressing room.

Zexion was one of Sora's favorite dancers. The purple haired man was a few years younger than everyone else and had only started at the Cabaret two years before. He was quiet, reserved, and rather intelligent. He could often be found curled up in his corner of the dressing room with a book while the other dancers romped about. Sora liked the contrast he brought to the group. There was something so refreshing about Zexion when he was constantly surrounded with Roxas and Cloud.

"You're telling me it isn't?" Sora joked, cracking a small grin in the dancer's direction. Zex flipped his hair out of his eyes and revealed a smirk in the process.

"Where's Rox…" Zexion fumbled, looking for the right ending to the blonde's name.

"Roxie." Sora confirmed, knowing what the other man was searching for. "She's at her vanity. She'll be dying to see you after your vacation. How was it, by the way?" He inquired. The dancer shrugged.

"It was rather dull. I quite enjoyed it." Another tiny smirk and the nimble dancer was gone, weaving his way impressively through the crowd of employees flooding the room. Sora escorted himself out and to the bar. He had barely made it behind the counter when he heard his other boss hollering for him.

"Sora? Sora, is that you?" Leon made his way up from the lower tables nearer to the stage.

"If I said no, would you go away?" Sora asked playfully, sticking his tongue out when Leon finally reached him.

"Not a chance." The owner of the Cabaret smiled. "You look tired. Did you get enough rest?"

"Why are you even asking?" Sora laughed before pulling out some glasses for the night. "What did you need me for?"

"I got another running boy, so you don't have to play both parts tonight. You'll be filling drinks like usual, so you can wear your normal uniform if you'd like." Leon paused, looking at the new addition to Sora's attire. "Though, I must say, that bowtie is perfect."

"You think so?" Sora asked, spinning around like a model. "Cloud gave it to me. He said I'm his _shining star_." Sora placed his hands under his chin in an angelic fashion.

"Looks like I have some competition, then." Leon chuckled to himself as he crossed his arms.

"We plan on vacationing on an island far away from here. Maybe we'll send you a postcard." Sora mentioned casually.

"Uh-huh. As if you could live with Cloud for a day without going insane." Leon snorted.

"What was that, darling?" The blond came into view and lovingly latched on to his boyfriend's arm, digging his fingers into the flesh a little too firmly in good fun.

"Ah! Nothing, love. Nothing at all!" Leon cried out before frantically mouthing the words _help me_ to Sora. The smaller brunet laughed as the couple walked out of sight, happily nipping at each other's necks and stealing kisses whenever they knew they had a clear shot to walk in. A part of the writer longed for what they had. Cloud and Leon were the definition of effortless. Together since high school and never a kink in the relationship, they were a constant in Sora's life full of variables.

The brunet turned his attention toward the clock. Only an hour before the house opened. He needed to get to work.

* * *

"Zexy!" Roxie cried out, happily wrapping the bookworm into a hug. He didn't resist, but he didn't exactly reciprocate. Typical Zexion.

Rox had been the man's mentor when he first started at the Cabaret. Leon and Cloud had found him at an audition for a small chorus role in one of the musicals going on deeper in the city and pulled him aside to give him an offer instead. Zexion, who thought he had always hidden his sexuality well (and was pleased to find out that it was Cloud and only Cloud who had figured out he was gay), was initially shocked to be sought out for a gay bar. He was reluctant at first but, with some coaxing, the owners managed to convince him to come to a show.

It was that first show where Roxie and the bookworm met, sealing his fate; little did he know this was Cloud and Leon's intention all along. Once Zexion saw the shimmering lights, the beautiful costumes, and heard the sweet, sweet croon of Rox's voice, he was caught—hook, line, and sinker.

_He aspired to be as good as Roxie. Though at the time he was just an ensemble dancer, he was aspiring to be a lead. He practiced night and day at the Cabaret, streaking up the basement floor with his shoes over and over, struggling to achieve perfection. It was a quiet Tuesday when the blonde, unassumingly showing up for her own peace and quiet and some practice herself, stumbled upon the young man as he leapt in the air, spinning around wildly. He missed the landing by mere inches, skidding on the floor._

"_Tuck in your core," Roxie stated, scaring the younger boy senseless. He gaped at her, not expecting anyone to have been watching his failed move. "If you squeeze your abs in tight, you get better momentum." She explained, dropping her bag._

"_I know that." Zexion huffed, flipped the hair out of his eyes from his spot on the floor._

"_Then why didn't you do it?" Roxie smirked, offering him a hand. He shrugged her off and side stepped past her, going back to his starting point on the mat. He tried his best to ignore the smug lead dancer as she crossed her arms and got out of his way. He gave himself a running start before jumping and spinning, this time tucking in his core muscles and tightening his abs. He landed the jump flawlessly._

_Roxie clapped slowly and smiled at him. She had a warm, delightful smile that radiated energy. Zexion, no matter how apathetic and indifferent, couldn't resist. _

"_You're a fabulous dancer. What's your name?" She asked, intrigued. Rox was a busy girl; she came to the Cabaret, rehearsed with her leads, and let the ensemble practice on their own. She had auditions and a man waiting at home for her, after all, and Blaze wasn't always the most patient man. All her time spent elsewhere and away from the lower level dancers had left her clueless as to whom the purple haired boy was._

"_Zexion Montieth." He shifted his gaze from hers and moved to his gym bag. He began packing away his things._

"_Wait," Roxie gently grabbed his arm, smiling at him once more. "Would you like to practice with me? I'm going to make the choreography for next week's numbers, and I think I could use a bit of help from someone like you." She elaborated._

"_Someone like me? You mean because I'm a guy?" Zexion asked curiously. Honestly, he was just elated to be in the same room with Roxie noticing him, but now she was offering to dance with him? The younger man was ecstatic._

"_Oh, no, honey." Roxie chuckled, giving him a small wink. She took off her jacket and revealed a tank top and tight fitting compression shorts, displaying her manhood quite well. "I promise I'm man enough for the both of us." _

_Zexion, initially shocked, became speechless. After a few seconds he finally managed to grasp words, stammering out "But your name is Roxie…"_

"_Rox-as. It's only here in the walls of this Cabaret that I get to be Roxie. Not at home, not in public, not anywhere else. But here… here I'm finally free." The blond man took off his hastily thrown on wig and revealed his naturally unruly hair. _

"_Free…" Zexion muttered, remembering how he felt when Cloud and Leon had first brought him to the Cabaret. There were people just like him. They hid in the shadows during the day, trying so hard to stay out of the spotlight and under society's radar. At night, though, they could come to the only sanctuary Zexion had ever found for people as unfortunate as him. They were gay, after all, and that was an abomination. But at the Cabaret, they were human again._

"_Free." Roxas repeated. "Free to be whomever I please. Free to be myself." He ran a hand through his hair and then offered it to Zexion. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Zexion Montieth. I'm Roxas Hart." _

"_It's nice to meet you, too." Zexion shook the lead dancer's hand, sealing their friendship for good._

The bookworm pulled away from his excited friend, smiling softly at her. Only half of her make-up was on and she looked like a clown without her eyelashes done.

"You'd better hurry. We were going to practice the numbers before the show starts, remember? I told Sora to remind you." He explained to her with a trace of annoyance in his voice.

"Oh, hush, you. Of course I remember." She frowned, obviously not remembering at all. "I don't need Sora to do _everything_ for me." There was a sense of slight bitterness coming from the blond that the bookworm chose to ignore. The relationship between the two best friends was something he had seen in its less stressful stages before the incident, and now there was obvious strain between the two. There was nothing Zexion could do to fix it, though, because both he and Roxie knew that she really did need the help. It was just hard for the blonde to give away so much of her independence.

"If that was true, you'd be ready by now." Zexion chided, just as Sora came bursting into the dressing room, shouting the blonde's name.

"Roxie!" He called, frantically dashing for her vanity. "Roxie I completely forgot to tell you that Zexion wanted you downstairs in five… oh, hello again, Zex." Sora skid to a halt and sheepishly rubbed his hand on the back of his hair after noticing the younger dancer giving him a wry look of amusement. The bookworm then gave a pointed look to Roxie, as if to say _I told you so_. The blonde huffed and rolled her eyes, scowling.

"Okay, okay." She admitted defeat. "Maybe I do still need him for everything." She finished putting her make-up on and turned around to smile at the two boys. "Thanks, Sor-rah, but Zexy beat you to it." She gently let the brunet return back to his duties in the bar. She sighed and then hopped off of her chair, slipping on her dance shoes. "I could live forever and never be able to repay him."

"Then it's a good thing he's not asking you to." The bookworm wrapped an arm around her waist lovingly before escorting her to the basement to practice. He was quiet, reserved, and often indifferent, but if anyone had a way of breaking through to someone like that, it was little miss Roxie Hart.

* * *

Riku found himself once again sitting on a bar stool staring at the brunet's ass as he bent over to get liquor off of a lower shelf. Sora was allowed to change back into his regular uniform, which was far less revealing than his running boy get-up; instead of tight spandex shorts, the bartender was now wearing well-fitted black work pants and a white linen t-shirt. Still, Riku couldn't say he didn't enjoy the view, though he was mildly annoyed that the bartender was so busy and could only talk to him sparingly. The rock star's body had been quenched of its thirst for Sora's flesh the night before, but his heart was screaming for attention from the other man. He wanted so much more than just a casual lover. He wanted his soulmate back.

"Sorry about that," Sora apologized while finally getting a chance to breathe. "It's always busy before the show starts. People want to stock up before Roxa—Roxie performs." The brunet caught himself, faking his mistake for a cough. Riku was none the wiser.

"I suppose I can't be too upset that you're doing your job while at work. I figure I'm the one being a nuisance, after all." Riku smirked before gingerly sipping at his fizzy soda. He had decided that tonight he was going to remain completely sober. The night before he had felt brave from all of the alcohol, and he knew that Sora had been the more nervous of the two of them because he wasn't tipsy like the Silveret had been. Riku vowed that tonight he would be just as dry as the brunet, hopefully able to make him less anxious the second time around.

"I like the company. Normally I'm just listening to Roxie sing in my down time, and if I wanted to do that I could just stay at home." He laughed, wiping down the bar with a wet rag.

"You two live together?" Riku asked curiously.

"Yeah, for about six months now." Sora explained.

"Hmm." Riku acknowledged the information, sipping again at his drink. "Why's that?"

"We're lovers." Sora chided, rolling his eyes.

"You? With a woman? Please, give me a break." Riku snorted and took a sip. Sora whirled himself around, keeping his hands busy with someone at the back of the bar while his face blushed bright red from embarrassment. "So what's the deal with her?" He then asked.

"With Roxie? What do you mean?" Sora sputtered, shocked by the question.

"She's obviously way too talented for this place." The rock star mentioned. "She can sing and dance better than half the people in Hollywood, yet she's here, in this holed up Cabaret."

"Life isn't always so black and white, you know. It's not like she had a choice of being here or being famous and she chose this." Sora poured another customer a drink and responded upon coming back to the Silveret.

"So she isn't trying to make it big? Doesn't she realize how much fame she could have? Or money, for that matter?" Riku added, thinking about how the blonde and the brunet worked two jobs. He wondered idly if it was because they loved the Cabaret too much to leave, or if they seriously needed the cash. His heart churned at the idea of Sora scraping pennies.

"Not everyone is as desperate for fame and fortune as you were." Sora hissed at him, practically spewing venom. Riku's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden attack, and he raised his hands up in defense.

"I didn't mean anythi—" He started, but Sora cut him off.

"What business is it of yours what she does with her life, anyway? You don't know her. You barely know me, for that matter! And besides—" He paused, steeling his glare and narrowing his eyes further. "Maybe Roxie has things that mean more to her than making it big. The world would be a far better place if more people were like her and less like…" The brunet trailed off, realizing that his anger had taken him to a statement that he wasn't quite sure he should make.

"If people were less like _me_." Riku finished it, though, and let the words resonate in the air between them. Sora, who had never been good at confrontation and was frightened at the idea of fighting with the Silveret, immediately backpedaled.

"We're supposed to be leaving the past behind us and here I am, forgetting my own words. I'm sorry. Let's pretend I never said anything." He sighed, obviously defeated.

"Just like how you want to pretend nothing ever happened between us?" Riku sounded hurt as he spoke, but tried to hide it as best he could.

"Riku, don't make this worse, okay? We have a whole night ahead of us and I don't want to…" Sora trailed off once again, wondering what he wanted to say. Did he even know?

"I get it. I'm going to go up to the private booth for the night, I think." Riku hopped off the bar stool and began to leave.

"Wait!" Sora cried out, reaching for the Silveret's sleeve. He drew the rock star back in and was surprised when Riku crashed their lips together for a passionate kiss. It lasted only a few moments before the taller man pulled away, sighing. Sora longed for those lips back, and suddenly realized he might be a little too invested in the way the Silveret affected him.

"There. Now we've both done things we shouldn't have, and now we both have something to regret." Riku stated matter of factly before grabbing his glass and heading for his private booth. Sora felt the ghost of the man's lips on his own, wondering what in the world had gotten in to the two of them.

Kairi flashed into his mind and caused bile to rise into Sora's throat. What would she think of him kissing a man like that? He felt himself come alive under Riku's touch, and yet when Sora was with her he was as lackluster as could be. He was ashamed of himself, lusting after the Silveret the way he was. He should call the whole thing off and just apologize.

_I never should have blew up at him like that._ Sora scolded himself while he filled a patron's cup. _It's just like when we were young. I can't seem to control myself around him._ At the rate he was going, Sora would ruin this entire deal, and Riku would back out of the book before Sora could even try to. Thinking of the long list of bills on his desk, the bartender steeled himself into a new resolution. He was going to make this work somehow, no matter what it took. He'd do anything, or any_one_, for Roxie.

It would just take a lot of willpower, and a whole lot of booze.

* * *

Axel was sitting in the private booth when Riku wandered in. The red-head raised an eyebrow and patted the seat next to him before his bandmate sat down.

"What's up, dude?" Axel asked, concerned. "I've been on the road with you for ten years now. I know when you're upset." The tattooed man responded when he saw Riku's look of disbelief.

"I'm fine." The Silveret muttered, gulping down his soda.

"Says the guy who is obviously not fine." Axel rolled his eyes and crossed his legs in his seat. "But whatever, man. If you don't want to talk, I'm not going to make you."

Riku was thankful that his friend had dropped the subject. There was nothing that whining could fix. He was in love with Sora, and the brunet obviously didn't feel the same. There was no sense in talking about it. Axel wouldn't understand.

The lights dimmed and relief washed over the Silveret. Not only was he granted the gift of silence from his best friend, he now also had something to distract him. The audience grew quiet in anticipation for Roxie's number. There was no spotlight or strobes as the music started, which was unusual for the start of a performance. Riku had started becoming accustomed to the flashy entrances and the theatrical quality to every show.

A man about the size of Sora came onto the stage from the left and Roxie came on from the right. With the dim lighting they were barely recognizable, and Riku could only tell it was the author's assistant from the way that she moved. The blonde was such a fluid performer.

"**What's the time? Well it's gotta be close to midnight! My body's talkin' to me; it says 'Time for danger'!"** The lights stayed dark as Roxie began crooning and moving her body. She rolled her stomach and hips in time with each phrase, stopping only when they male dancer put his hands on her waist.

"**It says, 'I wanna commit a crime- Wanna be the cause of a fight. I wanna put on a tight skirt and flirt with a stranger'."** The male dancer moved his hands from Roxie's hips to her front, trailing them along the lines of her barely-there skirt. She leaned into him as he moved his hands against her. Axel raised an eyebrow at the highly seductive movement, idly wondering who this purple haired man was.

"**I've had a knack from way back at breaking the rules once I learn the games. Get up! Life's too quick, I know someplace sick where this chick'll dance in the flames." **Roxie pushed the male dancer away as she rhythmically sprinted to the front of the stage where a lone platform shone in a now lit up spotlight. Once she entered the light Axel felt his breath hitch in his throat.

"**Let's go out tonight!"** Her legs were covered in transparent black tights, accenting her dancing muscles perfectly.

"**I have to go out tonight!" **Her skirt was extremely short, tight, and hugged all of the right curves before climbing up her waste past her navel. It clung to her ass in such a way that Axel couldn't help but stare.

"**You're sweet, wanna hit the street?" **Her black leather top was more like a bra than anything else, and although there wasn't much there it was the appeal of the outfit together that drew Axel in.

"**Wanna wail at the moon like a cat in heat?" **Most of all, though, it was her face that was drawing in Axel's attention. She truly was a pretty girl, but tonight there wasn't a trace of pretty in her features. Her normally ruby red lips were traded in for a darker shade of rouge, and her usually bright, happy eyes were smoky and heavy-lidded with deep eyeliner and dark shadow. The corners of her eyes had wings flying out to either side, perfecting her cat-like look flawlessly. She looked mysterious, sexy, and ready for action.

"_**Just take me out tonight!"**_ The blonde belted the last notes into the microphone and leaned her head back and howled, revealing the pale, delicate skin of her neck. Axel bit his lip in complete awe of this woman. She was really something else.

"You look like you're about to jump right off the balcony to get on that stage." Riku teased, watching the red head's eyes follow the blonde. Axel leaned back in his seat and whistled softly, giving the Silveret a toothy grin.

"Hell, I'd do just about anything for a girl like that." He murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.

She couldn't possibly be real, right? There had to be some sort of imperfection. Maybe she was missing a toe. Maybe she had daddy issues. Or what if she was secretly a man?

_Hah_, Axel laughed internally. _Wouldn't that be something for the tabloids to talk about? Axel Andrus in love with a man._ He mentally clicked his tongue and pushed the thought aside. It was impossible, after all.

The door to their private room burst open after a few moments and a panting blonde walked her way inside with no permission. Axel stared dumbfounded as Roxie stood in front of him, desperately trying to catch her breath.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to run up those stairs in these heels?" She asked in between labored breaths.

"Not in the least, Miss Hart. Pleasure to see you again." Riku had a trace of a smile in his voice. Axel quickly gained his composure and stood up, offering Roxie his seat in the booth. She politely declined, turning her attention toward the Silveret.

"_You._" She pointed at him and narrowed her eyes into slits as she cocked one hip to the side. She was still wearing her costume, obviously having ran right off the stage to their booth, and Axel was having a hard time keeping his eyes in decent places. Luckily, the blonde was transfixed with a different rock star in the room.

"Me?" Riku held his hands up in playful defense and let out a nervous laugh. Roxie stomped her way over to him in her high heels, pushing her finger against his chest. His eyes widened in surprise and he leaned back in his seat, trying to resist her proximity. "What did I do?"

"Whose idea was it?" She pried cryptically, trying not to give away too much information in front of the red-head.

"What is she talking about?" Axel asked, peering over at Riku with an eyebrow raised.

"I'm not so sure, but I'd feel a lot better talking about it if you backed up a few feet." Riku tried his best to sound polite, but his personal space was precious to him. He was one of the most famous people on Earth, and that meant he was used to being prodded, pushed along, followed, stalked, and everything of the sort. When it came to his personal space, though, he was very particular.

"Not until you answer me! I know what you two did, and I need to know if it was your idea or his." She pursed her lips and took her finger away, getting the clear message that Riku was uncomfortable. She refused to back away, though, pointedly glaring at him just a few inches from his face. If Axel hadn't known any better, he'd have thought the two were going to kiss.

"It was mine, okay?" Riku sighed in relief when Roxie backed up after he admitted his guilt. She sat down in the seat that Axel had previously offered her, running a finger through what the men thought was hair but she knew to be a wig. She grabbed Axel's drink and took a sip, pursing her lips into a thin, frowning line once more.

"What are you two talking about?" Axel laughed nervously, aware that there was tension in the air but completely oblivious as to why.

"What do you want from him?" Roxie asked, her tone switching from accusatory to exhausted. Axel leaned a bit forward after sitting down next to the blonde and noticed that there were dark circles under her eyes when he was close to her face.

"Look, it's not what you think it is." Riku tried to explain himself, but Axel adamantly interrupted.

"Will one of you _please_ explain to me what is going on?" Axel asked, flabbergasted. "One second I think I have you all to myself," He looked pointedly at Roxie. "And the next you're storming in here making a scene about a secret it seems only you two are in on." He then switched his gaze to a very flustered Riku.

"You've known me for two days, Mien Herr. I barely classify that as you having me all to yourself." She rolled her eyes at Axel's audacity.

"Now that you've been thoroughly put in your place," Riku snickered in Axel's direction. "I guess I should explain myself." He switched his gaze to Roxie. She nodded in agreement.

"Make it quick. I have another number in fifteen minutes." She added.

"You're leaving?" Axel sounded disappointed but tried to hide it in his voice.

"Don't cry just yet, Mien Herr. The night is young." Roxie winked at him and moved in her seat so she was better facing Riku. She motioned with her hands for him to talk.

"It was my idea to sleep together." Riku promptly ignored the confused interjection from Axel and continued talking to the blonde dancer. "It was a deal that I made with him in order to do the book."

"You _blackmailed _him?" Roxie blurted out, immediately standing up in her seat.

"Look, it's not what you think it is. Give me a chance to explain." Riku tried to calm her down, but Roxie was already spinning the gears of rage.

There were few things that Roxie Hart truly got mad about. She had always been a very happy, loving, and excitable person, and anger wasn't something that came easily to her. Even after the incident she had trouble being mad about what had happened to her. She wasn't the type to dwell on things that made her face flush red and her blood boil.

Unless, that was, it came to Sora.

He was a saint. He was the definition of the world's best human being. There wasn't a mean bone in the little brunet's body, and if he ever were to say something nasty, he'd apologize right after. Sora West was the one shining, shimmering, simply _good_ thing in Roxie's life that she never had to question. Her other friends were remarkable and always had her back, sure, but _Sora?_ Sora was the lone person who had never let Roxie down. He was her best friend, her rock, and her guardian angel.

And anybody that fucked with him was going to feel her wrath.

"How _dare_ you!" She seethed, venom pouring from her lips. Axel, taken back by the sudden display of aggression from what he had assumed to be a lively, bubbly blonde performer, leaned away from her as she continued her assault. "That is _completely unacceptable!"_

"If you would just let me—" Riku was cut off once again.

"No!" Roxie snarled, clenching and unclenching her fists in aggravation. "You listen to _me,_ got it?" The Silveret solemnly nodded as the performer reached her peak of aggression. "I don't care what you used to have with him; he isn't yours anymore and you can't prey on his weaknesses like some kind of billionaire vulture!"

"Who are we talking about?" Axel made another attempt to gain information from his band mate and his current ideal fuck.

"Shut up." Riku snapped at him. The tattooed man raised his eyebrows and took a long, hard sip of his drink. Axel knew his best friend well enough to realize that it _truly_ wasn't his place to know. In a world where their lives were accessible to nearly everyone, there were some secrets the two kept from even each other.

Riku narrowed his eyes into slits in Roxie's direction. "I was under the impression that he was an independent adult that could make his own decisions and didn't have to answer to his _assistant_, let alone anyone else." Riku's tone was cold as he threw her title back at her insultingly. His cheek, though, was warm where Roxie's fist flew out and punched him.

Axel grabbed her before she could do more damage and tried to yank her out of the room, but the blonde wrapped her hands into the doorway of the private booth and kept her head in long enough to cut the Silveret to the core.

"I'd rather be an author's assistant for the rest of my life than be as sick, vile, and despicable as you! You were the worst thing that ever happened to him!" She hissed, resisting Axel's grasp. "You're so pathetic that you couldn't even get him to sleep with of your own accord; you had to _blackmail_ him just so he would fucking touch you! He'd _never_ want you if it wasn't for the book, Riku, and the next time you see him all you'll be able to think about is how _it means nothing!"_ Finally, in an act of dramatic flair, Roxie let go of the molding around the wall of the private booth, allowing Axel to carry her away from the man she had just unknowingly killed inside.

* * *

"**What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play. Life is a Cabaret, old chum; come to the Cabaret."** A completely different Roxie from the one that had been screaming minutes before was was singing on the stage, happily dancing with Yuffie and Zexion. The three of them had their basic Cabaret attire on: Yuffie had a black leotard that showed off every perfect curve of her fit body, Zexion had donned a dark purple vest with skintight pants, and Roxie was wearing a short shimmery dress as per her usual.

**"Put down the knitting, the book, and the broom- Time for a holiday. Life is Cabaret, old chum; come to the Cabaret." **The trio danced in unison- an intricate number that they had obviously practiced numerous times. They moved their legs down the stage in complete sync, aweing the crowd as they shimmied.

**"Come taste the wine, come hear the band, come blow your horn- Start celebrating; right this way your table's waiting!"** Roxie smiled effortlessly into the microphone and the music began to pick up, sending the trio into another line of dance.

"What the fuck was that about, man?" Axel burst into the private booth after escorting Roxie back to her dressing room before the number had started. He had done his best to cool the blonde down, but she had still been seething mad when they arrived and she ran from his sight. It wasn't showing in her performance, though. The blonde looked just as happy as ever on stage.

"**No use permitting some prophet of doom to wipe every smile away; come hear the music play. Life is a Cabaret, old chum; come to the Cabaret!" **Zexion dipped to the side and picked Yuffie up, and even though she was taller he managed to lift her with ease, throwing her as she leapt from his grasp and landed in another dancer's hands. The crowd sighed a collective breath of relief when she stuck the landing.

"I don't want to talk about it." Riku muttered, nursing his sore face.

"Well we're gonna fucking talk about it!" Axel sputtered, obviously bewildered. "What in the hell just happened?" He demanded to know.

"I _said_ that we _weren't_ going to _talk_ about it!" Riku stood up and brushed past him, shoving the red head out of his way. Axel stumbled backward and knocked over Riku's drink that had been sitting precariously close to the edge of the table. It shattered on the ground and the tattooed man groaned.

**"Start by admitting from cradle to tomb isn't that long a stay. Life is a Cabaret, old chum; only a Cabaret, old chum; and I love a Cabaret!" **Axel looked up at the ending words of Roxie's song, seeing the trio finish the number by beaming into the crowd, arms up in the air triumphantly as Roxie belted the last notes.

_What are you hiding from me?_ Axel thought to himself idly while side-stepping all the glass. _Maybe Little Miss Sunshine isn't just like every other pretty blonde on the planet. Maybe… Maybe there _is_ something more to her?_

The red head wasn't too sure, but he knew how to find out. All he needed was Cloud Strife and his wallet at the ready.

"What happened to your face?" Sora forgot all about their earlier rough encounter when he saw how the Silveret's cheek was beginning to show a faint bruise. Even in the dim lighting he could notice the discoloration.

"Did you even read that contract I gave you?" Riku sighed as he sat down at the bar, graciously accepting the ice Sora had thrown into a rag for him. The last thing he needed was for his skin to blemish.

"What are you talking about? What does that have to do with you getting decked?" Sora could only assume that was what happened.

"The contract was very clear in the fact that you weren't allowed to tell _anyone_ about our private life." Riku pressed his lips in a firm line and set the ice on his cheek.

"_Our_ private life?" Sora raised an eyebrow and frowned. "_We_ don't have one of those. _I_ have a private life and _you_ have a private life."

"Whatever." Riku really wasn't in the mood for technicalities. "Our _sex_ life, then, if it makes you feel better.

"Not really." The brunet muttered, still disturbed by the idea that he was actually sleeping with the Silveret for money.

"_Anyway_…" Riku drawled out, signaling that their 'playful' banter was now over. "It's in violation of the contract to tell your assistant about us fucking." Riku's eyes closed and he left them that way, brooding over the night's events as Sora processed what the rock star had just said.

"Wait," he stammered after filling a customer's drink. "You're telling me that _Roxie_ punched you?" Sora was shocked.

"It'd be one hell of a bruise if it was anyone else." Riku rolled his eyes and peered at the brunet in wait. Little did he know that Roxie had been holding back nearly all of her strength. The blonde could easily knock him on his ass if she had wanted to.

Sora was completely at a loss for words. He had no idea that Roxie would respond so strongly; she had been rooting for them to get back together! What had changed her mind so fast? Sora couldn't think of anything… except for… _oh no…_

"Did you tell her about the contract?!" Sora whispered shrilly, panic flooding into his features. Riku nodded slowly before speaking.

"She wasn't a big fan of your completely consensual and unforced choices." Riku responded.

_Oh, Riku!_ Sora thought to himself, frantically worrying. _Do you seriously not realize that you forced me into this book?_ The bartender slammed his train of thought, remembering the circumstance. _Riku has no idea how deep in debt we are. He thinks I'm just doing this for the fame, not because it's the last hope for us and the Cabaret._

It was then, in Sora's inner monologue, that he realized something else: Roxie had no clue that the Cabaret was going under. The owners and the bartender had chosen to keep her out of the loop, knowing it would affect her far more than she was able to handle at the moment. To Roxie, Sora had accepted the deal only to pay off _her_ medical bills and all their other letters stained in red, menacing ink.

"Rox…" Sora muttered, feeling himself completely deflate. "Riku, you have no idea what the two of us are going through right now." He tried to explain, but everything he could come up with was falling flat. There was no _way_ he could tell Riku about their financial troubles without a) putting Roxie's privacy in danger and b) absolutely destroying his own pride. "You should have never told her." Sora sighed.

"I didn't force you into this, Sora. You said it yourself: this is practically a business deal." Riku defended himself.

"An _illegal_ business deal." Sora reminded him, sighing once more. His night was getting shittier by the second. "I'll talk to her and tell her that it's completely consensual. You're not forcing me into anything." Sora agreed, lying through his teeth. Riku _couldn't_ know about the Cabaret being in jeopardy and their crippling debt. There was no way he could tell him. "I want this book for my own purposes, not for anything else. If I have to sleep with you to get it, then I will." Sora flagged down a running boy and told him to watch the bar for a few minutes. Riku assumed the brunet was running off to catch Roxie before her next number to explain the situation.

_If I have to sleep with you to get it, then I will._

Sora's words hovered in Riku's brain, replaying themselves over and over. _If I have to… if I __**have**__ to…_

"If he _has_ to… like I'm some kind of monster that he'd have never looked at twice otherwise." Riku spoke lowly so that he wasn't heard by others as his mind kept doubling back.

_He'd never want you if it wasn't for the book, Riku, and the next time you see him all you'll be able to think about is how it means nothing!_

Roxie's words sliced him open again, and the Silveret felt himself bleeding out onto the floor of the bar. She was right, after all. Sora had just confirmed it himself. The man Riku had been pining over, loving from a distance all these years, would _never_ want him. He had forced Sora back into his life and his bed, but what was the reward of it all meant nothing? And, even worse, what was the price?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I do not own any names, characters, or ideas from Kingdom Hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**

**Music Thi****s Chapter**

**Out Tonight - Rent (Original Cast Recording)**

**Cabaret - Cabaret (Original Cast Recording)**


	12. Chapter 12

"Rox?" Sora called out, searching through the dressing room for the blonde among the bustling dancers, feather boas, and shining mirror lights. He found the wrong blond, though, and frowned when Cloud's face came into view standing next to Zexion. "Where's Roxie? I need to talk to her."

"Sorry, sweet cheeks. You just missed her for the night." Cloud explained as he handed a costume to a dancer. Once he gave her a light tap on the ass he turned his attention to the bartender. Zex rolled his eyes at the owner and peered into his book for a few moments in his spare time.

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked, confused. Roxie had another number, didn't she? There was thirty minutes until close.

"We switched her number out for one of Yuffie's. A certain red-headed super star made her an offer she couldn't refuse." The owner shrugged. He clearly was implying that Axel had purchased Roxie's company for the night, and Sora immediately began stammering and stuttering, completely appalled.

"What?" He eventually choked out, blind-sided. Zex raised one eyebrow and looked up at the brunet, taking in the bartender's apparent distress.

"Yeah, he bought her yesterday, too. Paid a big old chunk of change but Roxie made me give it back. I don't know all the details. All I _do_ know is that he seems extremely interested in our little girl." Cloud tapped his finger on his lips in contemplation.

"That's… that's insane! He can't just buy—" Sora trailed off when he realized Riku was doing the same thing to him.

Of course Roxie was upset when she found out about his and Riku's arrangement. The poor blonde thought she was solving their money troubles on her own by allowing the red-head to take advantage of her, yet Sora had hid it from her that he was selling himself too. She was angry because she had wanted it to be her burden and hers alone. The brunet could picture the look on her face when she found out, and how hurt she must have been that all her efforts were in vain. No matter what she tried to do for them, Sora was always the one holding things together.

His stomach twisted into a knot. That sweet, sweet woman had been struggling through hell and back, yet she was still trying to help Sora? His heart swelled when he thought of how protective of him she had gotten when she punched Riku, and he realized he felt just about ready to do the same to Axel.

Another thought suddenly flashed through his mind. Hadn't Luxord told Roxie not to get involved with someone? So far she had just been spending time with the men who purchased her company. She hadn't allowed them to do anything more than look, and she never showed anything too scandalous. But if Axel was paying a hefty sum for her… was she dishing out more than she could chew?

"Is she in the room?" The brunet questioned about the usual room that Roxie used for her meetings with buyers.

"I think so? I don't know where else she'd be." Cloud hurriedly stopped a dancer and fixed his outfit in passing. "Sora, what's going on? Is there something you're not telling me?" The blond asked, perceptive as ever. Zexion crossed his arms and waited patiently for an answer with the owner.

Cloud Strife was a rare breed of man. He often led people to believe he was boisterous, obnoxious, and loud with how boisterous, obnoxious, and loud he was. But there were layers underneath that a select few knew about; those select few were only people Cloud decided were worthy. The blond was delightfully intelligent (along with his lover) and his ability to sense the world was almost unreal. He knew things about people that they themselves didn't even know. He could tell a lie from a mile away, and both Sora and Roxie had given up ever trying to keep anything from the intuitive owner of the Cabaret.

"Um…" Sora stammered once again, wondering how much information he should divulge. Cloud was bound to find out sooner or later that he was sleeping with Riku again, but the Silveret had _just_ told him that he wasn't allowed to say anything. He decided to stick to a safer subject (one that wouldn't potentially ruin the chances of him saving the Cabaret and paying off their debt). "Rox isn't really supposed to get involved with anyone. It's part of her therapy. We just needed the money so badly…" The brunet muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

The blonde wasn't really _private_ about her therapy but something about "tattling" on her made Sora feel uncomfortable. She was a twenty-eight year old adult who could make her own choices. If she wanted to ruin her chances of getting better, Sora didn't really have a say, did he?

"You're shitting me." Cloud's face fell into disbelief. He immediately latched on to Sora's arm and Zexion's, rushing out of the dressing room with the two men in tow. "Why did you not tell me? I never would have let her do it if I'd have known." He felt himself fill with guilt at the idea of sabotaging Roxie's therapy.

He had been facilitating her _selling_ herself. Cloud was a progressive man. He hated the idea of anyone being controlled or told what to do, so prostitution was no big deal for him. If you wanted to use your assets for money then in Cloud's mind you should go right ahead. That's how the world worked, right? He and Leon were good at putting on a Cabaret show, so they did it for money. Sora was good at writing, so he became an author. Riku had been good at singing, so he joined the music business. Everyone had a little bit of themselves to sell to the world. Roxie just wanted to sell a bit more. He hadn't seen the problem in that when she had brought it up to him. He hadn't found it troublesome to rearrange the room for her new uses. He hadn't bothered asking why she wanted to do it.

"Cloud, it's not your fault. I let her do it too." Sora tried to console him as they hurried their way across the Cabaret. It was close to closing time so the bar was filled to the brim with patrons looking for drinks. Leon had graciously taken over for Sora when the brunet had asked him and was now chatting away happily with an assortment of customers. Everyone was a regular here at the Cabaret and he had no trouble easing in and out of conversations. He did stop to raise an eyebrow, however, when he noticed his partner (the two had given up on the term boyfriend long ago, seeing as they had been together for over thirteen years now), one of his main dancers, and his bartender barreling across the room. Cloud was too focused on his destination to notice his lover looking at him, but Sora did give an apologetic glance and mouthed the words "Explain" and "Later".

"Did you study Kant in school, Sora?" Cloud asked as they wove their way in and out of human traffic.

"A little. He's a philosopher, right?" Sora wondered and Zexion confirmed with a nod of the head; the bookworm had graduated with a degree in philosophy. The blond had never taken a course on philosophy in his life, but was incredibly well read. He, Leon, and Zexion would often spend their afternoons off curled up in one of the private rooms discussing a book, and the owners of the Cabaret studied subjects that they hadn't been offered in their business and theatre majors.

"Kant preached constantly about the concept of coercion." Cloud stated. They had made it to the stairs and were now trying to take them two at a time. "Kant's version of ethics is actually one of the main reasons we don't have paid organ sales that are legal in America." He continued as they made it halfway up. Sora struggled to keep up with his friend's quicker pace with his smaller legs.

"Why's that?" The bartender mused.

"Because," Cloud paused as they reached the top of the stairs, slowing down slightly. "If paid organ sales were made legal, then those who were poor would be coerced into selling their organs to make money. Same idea with prostitution, in a way. Roxie isn't selling herself because she wants to; I thought she was. She's selling herself because the bills between the two of you are coercing her into treating herself as a means to an end."

"Means to an end?" Sora looked at the two other men in slight confusion. He had studied Kant before, but not to this extent.

"Kantian ethics clearly states to 'act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or the person of any other, never simply as a mere means, but always at the same time as an end'." Zexion recited word for word, obviously having studied Kant extensively in his college days. "Basically, human beings can't treat their bodies or their spirits as a tool to get what they want, because it devalues what it means to be human. Roxie is devaluing herself as an end by using herself as a mere means."

"Well, Christ, guys. As if I didn't feel bad enough before I knew that." Sora sighed, hating the sickening feeling he had. Zexion frowned slightly, brushing some of his silvery-purple locks out of his face. Stunning blue eyes looked back at Sora.

"Roxie is her own person. She makes her own choices. I know you take care of her, and everyone knows she needs it, but you can't hold her hand through everything, Sora." He reassured the brunet. Cloud rest his hand on the bartender's shoulder and smiled softly, sadly.

"We're all at fault. But now that we know, we can fix it. We'll find a way to keep her from doing it ever again. But we need to stop her from doing it today, first." Cloud swung his head toward the door to the usual room that Roxie used. Sora's face paled at the idea of confronting the blonde on the inside. Sora was terrified of confrontation.

Cloud, luckily, was not. He pushed the door open and burst in, assuming to find the blonde in some adulterous act. Zexion followed behind, holding Sora's have as he guided him along. If he hadn't have forced him, Sora would have stayed glued in his spot.

"They're not here?" Cloud looked around in astonishment. Roxie's heels and an empty drink stained with her lipstick sitting innocently on the edge of the counter with no further indication of where the blonde had went.

"Where could they have gone?" Zexion pondered, looking at the drink on the counter behind the couch. The ice was still sitting pristine and perfect, barely melted.

"Does it look like they struggled?" Sora blanched further and felt himself beginning to hyperventilate. Cloud snorted and rolled his eyes, hugging the smaller man tightly.

"Sora, honey, we're talking about Axel Andrus. The guy's constantly under media attention. I highly doubt that he kidnapped her." Cloud replied.

"Besides," Zexion smirked, his quiet wit seeping through. "We're also talking about Roxie Hart. She'd _willingly_ go anywhere with him."

"I sure hope you're right." Sora still couldn't shake his sense of fear. But, then again, when wasn't Sora afraid of something?

* * *

Roxie had been fuming when she stormed her way into the usual room. Her feet were aching from her heels, her eyelash glue was sticking more than it should, and her spandex were chaffing terribly. She threw open the door, striking a "sexy" pose for Axel's enjoyment. The red head let out a laugh as the sight of the frazzled dancer.

"So I guess your mood hasn't improved, huh?" He asked playfully.

"That obvious?" Roxie snapped, rolling her eyes. She stomped her way toward him and threw herself dramatically onto the leather couch. The dancer then grabbed the rock star's drink and took a long, hard sip of the liquor. She happily exhaled, handing it back to the man before sinking into the plush couch and sticking her foot out. "Help a damsel in distress?" She questioned, wiggling her toes trapped inside her high-heeled shoes.

"You want me to take your shoes off?" Axel asked, slightly insulted. He was a god damn billionaire. Women were practically throwing themselves at him to do shit like that for _him_.

"No, I want you to stare at me with that dumb look on your face for a bit longer." She raised her eyebrows and wiggled her foot some more. "I'm not going to wait all day, Mister." She impatiently sighed.

Axel faltered for a moment before reaching for the strap of her shoe. He delicately worked his fingers against the latch of gold on her glittery stiletto and once it came undone he grasped the shoe by the pointed heel, sliding it off the dancer's foot. She smiled softly.

"There. I'm like your very own reverse Cinderella." She animatedly twirled her wrist and beamed at the rock star. "Now the other one, please?" She sugar coated the words and switched her feet.

"I've never done this before, you know." Axel smirked and moved his fingers to make quick work of the other shoe.

"Really? I feel honored to be your first time." She winked at him seductively and then let out a small laugh. "I guess you don't know how to court a woman if you've never taken off a girl's shoes."

"I've never 'courted' a woman, Little Miss Sunshine." It was Axel's turn to wink. "I'm far more concerned with the pleasures of the flesh than the pleasure of taking off shoes."

"You're living life all wrong, Mien Herr. The pleasures of the flesh are ten times better when you treat a girl right." She shrugged. Once both of her heels were safely off her feet she moved them to the side of the couch. She let her legs rest over Axel's, laying across the couch lengthwise.

"That sounds like bullshit, babycakes. I find no connection between how you treat a girl and how fucking her feels."

"How would you know? You've never tried."

"Well I suppose I could give it a shot. I take off your shoes, you bend over this couch…" Axel trailed off while raising his eyebrows suggestively. He wasn't being serious—she could hear the playful tone in his voice.

"Absolutely not." Roxie snorted, finding the humor in the fake suggestion. "It takes a lot more than removing my shoes to get me into bed, Mein Herr."

"What does it take?" Axel's tone switched from joking to far more serious. Roxie, taken back form the sudden shift in mood, shook her head.

"You'll never know, Mein Herr." She paused, thinking about her next words carefully. "I already told you that I'm not your type of girl."

"Then what type of girl are you, Sunshine?" Axel leaned forward, shifting his weight so that he was now leaning over her, inches from her face.

"I'm the type of girl that punches a rock star in the face, gets carried out of the room by a different rock star, puts on a song and dance, then immediately traipses into this room, where I'd normally be stripping for the enjoyment of whatever sleazy person bought me for the night." Roxie snorted and moved out from under Axel's peering glance.

"I don't think that's really who you are." He moved to grab her but she wiggled out of his grasp. The scene before the red-head was turning into the same one from the night before, where a teary eyed dancer left him alone with a thousand questions in his head. "Roxie, don't leave tonight." He demanded.

"Excuse me?" She turned her back to the door she had been heading for.

"What happened between you and Riku? Are you okay?" He asked, not really understanding where the words were coming from. He didn't care about her; she was a nobody in his world. She was just some girl he wanted to fuck and she obviously wanted him too. He just needed to chip away at her wall a bit more before he could have her and leave her.

Yet, here he was, finding himself intrigued by her. He couldn't help but want his questioned answered. In fact, he found more questions building up inside himself, begging and pleading to explode out of his mouth and be answered. This had never happened to him before. The list of people Axel didn't find boring was limited to his grandmother, his band, and maybe even Larxene. There was no room for Roxie on the list, but she was squeezing her way in.

"Does it matter? You already told me you don't care about me." Her tone wasn't cruel or harsh in any way. She sounded exhausted, truly, and suddenly Axel could see it in her eyes.

"You're right—I don't care about you. But that doesn't mean you don't have to answer my question." Axel smiled softly, knowing that his gentle grin would warm the blonde's heart. He wasn't unaware of how he could affect women with his looks. He had wealth, talent, and a handsome face to use on the opposite sex. He was a master of using all three.

Roxie, standing in the middle of the room (as she had been trying to escape the red-head's presence) staring at the rock star, suddenly let out a small giggle. She put her hands to her mouth as more laughs escaped, and Axel cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"What's so funny?" He inquired, suddenly feeling out of control.

"You're an absolute idiot." She managed to speak in-between giggles. "Do you seriously get girls that way? What kind of woman would be willing to sleep with such an asshole?" She rolled her eyes and walked toward the tattooed man, pulling him up to his feet.

"Every woman but you, apparently." It was his turn to roll his eyes. He looked her up and down as she pulled him a little closer. She was as radiant as ever in her black dress. It went down to her mid-thigh and had splits on either side so that she could freely move her legs; she was shorter now that she wasn't wearing the heels to complete the outfit. Axel had to be at least half a foot taller than her, but he liked her lack of vertical advantage. It made him feel powerful and strong in comparison to her dainty and feminine form. "Though I'm not so sure you don't secretly want me."

"What on Earth would give you that impression?" The singer feigned ignorance, shifting her weight so she was inches away from the rock star, leaning up looking into his eyes. He stared back down at her shimmering lashes and felt his heart start pumping into overdrive. "It wasn't when I kissed you, was it?" She asked.

"Hmmm… you know, for the life of me I just _can't_ seem to remember." Axel pursed his lips and played dumb, faking deep thought. "I bet if you kissed me again it would spark my memory." He wrapped his arms around Roxie's waist and pulled her hips close. She put her arms around his neck, bending backward so that she was arching away and he had to lean closer to her face.

"I thought you wanted me to tell you about my little spat with your band-mate?" She questioned. The tattooed man paused, then narrowed his eyes at her, sensing her tricks.

"Oh, you're cruel, Little Miss Sunshine. I have to pick one, don't I?" He realized her intention as she impishly grinned at him.

"Yup!" She chirped, then bit her lip. "What's it going to be?"

"You're clever. I want answers. Now." Axel demanded, choosing information instead of affection. Roxie wiggled her way out of his grasp and dipped her hand into his pocket, causing the red head to let out a soft cry of alarm as she snatched his keys. She shook them in front of his face, playfully prancing toward the door.

"How'd you know I had keys in there?" He tried to retrieve the shiny metal that jangled in the blonde's delicate grasp. She evaded his attempts and skipped even closer to the exit of the room.

"Well unless your dick is sharp enough to stab my leg—" she made reference to when he was holding her against his body, "-which I highly doubt it is, I made an educated guess." She laughed gayly as he chased her out of the room. Once in the hallway containing the private booths she took off in a full sprint.

"Hey!" Axel called out after her as she ran for the stairs, effortlessly gliding down them to the main floor. He sighed as he started running toward the blonde, coming to the sudden realization that he had never in his life chased a woman. He had only known the girl for a few short days and yet she seemed to be giving him all sorts of firsts that other women hadn't.

Roxie darted effortlessly in and out of the throngs of people around the Cabaret. She managed to avoid the sightline of a bartender with brown spiky hair that was engrossed in a conversation with a certain Silveret and she also managed to steer clear of both bosses. She wove her way toward the back entrance of the Cabaret and burst through the door into the fresh air. She spun in a circle wildly, with her arms flailing on either side, giddily laughing as Axel came out behind her, breathing heavily from their chase.

"Are you mad?" He walked down the steps and past the bouncer who was giving them a wary look but said nothing to the pair as Roxie ran further into the parking lot and Axel went after her.

"Which one is yours?" She began running up and down the rows of vehicles, tracing her fingers lightly across the hoods. She stopped in front of a sporty electric blue motorcycle that she suddenly recognized from magazines. "Holy shit. You brought _Electra?_" The blonde was in total awe.

Axel walked up behind the dancer and stuffed his hands into his pockets, finally able to regulate his breathing after their little escapade. He smiled softly, knowing the look on Roxie's face well. Everyone had that look when they saw her for the first time. Electra was Axel's baby, after all, and he took precious care of the bike. She was spotless, shining, and absolutely beautiful.

"I normally take her everywhere… well, when I'm allowed to." Axel added the remark after remembering Larxene's stern warning to him earlier that night.

"Even Axel Andrus has a keeper?" Roxie chided, and the rock star rolled his eyes in response.

"Remember the story I told you about my 'Momager', Larxene, and her deadly accuracy in the art of stiletto throwing?" He reminisced, and the little blonde let out a small giggle.

"How could I forget? I do not envy that woman's job, trying to keep tabs on you." She shook her head and then turned to face the tattooed man. "You wanted answers, right?" She reminded him.

"You punched my best friend in the face. Of course I want answers." He snorted.

"I'll tell you in exchange for a ride." The vivacious dancer nodded her head in the direction of the stunning motorcycle. Axel raised his eyebrows and smirked.

"You're full of surprises, Little Miss Sunshine." He moved to the other side of the bike and handed her the helmet that Riku normally used. She put it on her head, looking absolutely ridiculous in combination with her bare feet and shimmery dress.

"You have _no_ idea, Mien Herr." Roxie laughed to herself as she climbed on the back of the bike.

* * *

Sora figured that since his best friend (of whom he was the sole keeper and was supposed to be taking care of around the clock, but had so blatantly ignored his responsibilities to the point in which she was gone without a trace and was refusing to answer any of his calls) was out of the picture for the evening, and there was only twenty minutes left of his shift before a certain Silveret came out from his private booth (where he had decided to spend the rest of the brooding) to whisk the bartender away for a thorough fucking, that it would be most opportune time for him to act out his master plan:

Get so shitfaced that going behind Kairi's back, sleeping with his ex-boyfriend, and getting so absorbed in his own personal life that he neglected Roxie didn't seem like the horrific, monstrous, and mortifying acts that they were.

By the time the Cabaret shows were done and closing was announced by the owners of the bar, Sora was already trashed. He had managed to drink himself nearly blind in liquor—shot after shot of anything he could quickly chase down with yet another shot. He was completely and belligerently wasted by the time that Riku, sporting a red mark but no bruise from the blonde's fist impacting with his face, came to take him back to the hotel.

"Ready?" The Silveret asked in a monotone voice, seemingly bored and eager to leave the settling down Cabaret. He absent mindedly noticed that the brunet had thrown on the clothes he had borrowed from Riku the night before. Sora nodded vigorously, drunken enthusiasm leaking its way out of him. He had always been a rather happy drunk.

The two walked in silence out the back door of the Cabaret and toward the Rusty Stallion. Riku noticed that there was a distinctive smell of booze about the brunet, but thought nothing of it due to the smaller man's night-life profession. He began to become a bit more suspicious, however, when Sora threw him the keys to the car, completely missing, and beamed at the rock star.

"You want me to drive?" Riku inquired, staring dumb-founded at his contractual lover.

"That I do!" Sora shrieked. The Silveret's eyes widened at the sudden loudness of Sora's voice, and the strange quality it held.

"You want me to drive that death mobile?" He repeated, trying to express his distaste for the ideas without being completely rude.

"Uh-huh!" Sora nodded hyperactively before throwing himself toward the passenger side of the car.

"Is there something you need to tell me, Sora?" Riku gave him a chance to explain the odd commotion that was his sudden behavior, but the bartender shook his head rapidly and smiled innocently to boot. He waited for Riku to unlock the doors before clambering in to the Rusty Stallion, curling up in the passenger seat after buckling his seatbelt. The rock star slowly did the same (minus the whole curling up into a tight little ball part) and let the car roar to life after sticking the key into the ignition. He felt a bit odd, wondering when the last time he had actually driven a car was. Normally Larxene made a point of having them escorted everywhere they needed to go, or he mostly caught rides with Axel on Electra. It had to have been years since he had driven a car, and there was a sense of power from the metal coming to life at his finger tips that he had somehow forgotten about in the years of its absence from his life.

He pulled out of the Cabaret and began his journey toward the hotel. The city street lights illuminated the pedestrians walking home from their respective bars for the evening and the road began to glimmer slightly as a small drizzle of rain came down upon the asphalt. Riku fumbled for a second with the placement of the wind-shield wipers, but when he found the level he felt a small beam of pride shoot through him. He may have been a billionaire and things like this may have been foreign to him for some time now, but it was nice to know that he wasn't completely incompetent when it came to the practicalities of daily living that he once had to suffer through.

Pulling in to the hotel parking garage was a slight struggle, Riku found, because he had no true idea where he was supposed to be parking. He hadn't really paid much attention to it before, and he decided that he was going to be very astute with his surroundings from now on in the future. He finally (after driving around in circles for about ten minutes) found the parking spot with Axel's name on it (who knew when the red head would be back, and it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission) and slid the Rusty Stallion inside the lines, admiring his handiwork. He turned to face the brunet, whom he hadn't realized he had been ignoring with all of his concentration on driving, only to find the smaller man passed out in the seat next to him.

The rock star frowned. Half of him wanted to wake Sora up so that he could fulfil his end of their deal; half of him wanted to let the smaller man sleep peacefully as he was. However, the former of the two won out due to the fact that the rain had brought a slight chill into the underground parking garage and the author would freeze if he spent the night in the shotty excuse for a vehicle.

"Sora?" Riku whispered, gently nudging the slumbering man once he made his way around the car and to the passenger side. When he received no response he tried again, this time a bit more forcefully. Sora stirred slightly. "Sora West, it's time to wake up." Riku raised his voice so that is was a smooth murmur, nothing too harsh but nothing too soft either. The little brunet was blissfully unaware of the Silveret's attempts to rouse him. He might as well have been dead for how little he heard the rock star's voice or felt his touch. Eventually, Riku became rather annoyed, the chill of the rain truly reaching his bones.

He suddenly remembered something, and felt a warm twinge in his chest.

"Sora Ian West, if you don't wake up right now I swear on my first born son that I will tickle you into oblivion." Riku, crouching over the brunet, poised his fingers in an attack position.

Just as the threat had worked years ago on the sleeping man, it worked now. Somewhere in Sora's unconscious mind the imminent peril that had manifested in the form of being tickled registered and his fight or flight response had told him to wake the fuck up if he didn't want Riku's fingers all over his sides and behind his knees, which were the most sensitive and vulnerable part of Sora's body.

"I'm awake—I promise!" Sora mumbled, obviously only half conscious, but fairing far better than he was.

"We're going up into the hotel room now. Can you get up?" Riku asked patiently. There was something about the child-like innocence that Sora held while he was sleeping that made the rock star feel nostalgic for the days when they were together and they'd wake up in each other's arms. The Silveret had used his tickling threat often in those days. His then boyfriend had always hated mornings.

"No." Sora replied, curling up into an even tighter ball.

Riku sighed, blowing some of his hair out of his eyes. "Sora, will you _please_ get up for me?"

"I refuse to walk a single foot." The brunet stated, a sense of infantile finality about it. A small smile spread across the rock star's lips at the sudden pouty, temper-tantrum-like quality of the other man's voice.

"Then how on Earth are you going to get to the top of this hotel?" There was something melting away from Riku. He couldn't feel the pain in his cheek where he had been hit hours before. He couldn't feel the damp air that had once been chilling him deeply. He couldn't feel a trace of anguish that had been building up inside of him after the blonde dancer's cruel, yet absolutely true remarks. Right now he felt warm and happy and was fondly staring at the tired man in his borrowed clothes. "It's seventy stories up, Mister."

"Carry me?" The brunet peeked out from behind his knees where he had been cradling his head.

The question was so… _genuine_. There was something in Sora's voice that had truly sounded just like it had before the world caved in and they went their separate ways. He wasn't talking to bitter, jaded, exhausted Sora West of CityRise Publishing. He wasn't talking to reserved, apologetic, exhausted Sora West of the Cabaret. He was speaking to his other half again.

"Sora, I want to, but there could be people out here…" Riku bit his lip momentarily, hating the constraints that held him from doing what seemed so natural to do.

"Oh…" The author, even in his tired, intoxicated state, seemed to realize the danger in being spotted. He slowly moved his legs so that they stretched out in front of him, placed them on the concrete parking garage floor, and then shakily got out of the Rusty Stallion.

He immediately, without warning, tumbled directly into the Silveret's arms, unable to hold himself upright.

"Sora!" Riku couldn't stop himself from letting out a concerned holler. He looked around rapidly, hoping that no one was awake to see or hear them. The parking garage was often limited to valets only, though, and he had received special clearance to drive inside because he was _Riku Fucking Docken, _so as far as he could tell the coast was clear.

In a moment of bravery fueled by untamed glee, the Silveret scooped the brunet into his arms and took off for the elevator. He made sure that the hood of the sweatshirt that Sora had borrowed the night before was covering the brunet's face and quickly made it inside the elevator doors and sealed them. He knew there would be a camera in the elevator, but he also knew that Xemnas, the band's manager, had already made the hotel sign a contract stating that they wouldn't release any footage of the band what-so-ever, or they'd face a lawsuit so massive that it would potentially run every hotel they had in their corporation to the ground immediately. There were perks to being the most successful band in the music business; not many, but at least there were a few that came with the territory.

In the safety of the elevator Riku removed Sora's hood with the hand he was using to cradle the brunet's shoulders; his other arm was tightly hooked under the smaller man's knees as he carried his bridal style. Sora had his arms wrapped around the Silveret's neck and he nuzzled his face into the strong, sturdy shoulder available to him.

"This is nice." Sleepy Sora murmured, adoring the feeling of warmth that radiated off the other body in the elevator. Riku sighed in contentment.

"So we should do this more often, then?" Riku let out a small, deep chuckle that resonated in his whole chest. "What happened to the resistant man who wanted nothing to do with me an hour ago?" He asked, only half-playfully. There was a truthful curiosity behind the remark. Sora's moods had been so drastic the past few days. One moment he was at Riku's throat, and the next he was curled up in his arms? The old Sora West had never been so capricious.

"Riku…" Sora shifted a bit in the taller man's arms as the elevator soared toward the penthouse suite. "…_I want you_." He had shifted so that he face was at the Silveret's neck, and his breath was hot on the man's delicate flesh. There was a brave, pink tongue that lashed out and licked upward against the skin.

Riku wanted to moan with delight at the sudden display of primal affection from his once lover. He wanted to hit the emergency stop button and ravish the author right there in the elevator, no matter whether or not the camera was watching. He would have done it, too, if it weren't for the harsh, cruel sting of reality.

For in that moment that Sora had moved upward in the rock star's embrace to reach that delicious flesh he had been searching for, the author's breath had finally made its way into Riku's sense of scent.

_That booze smell wasn't from the bar… it's him._ Riku's mind stammered to a halt. _He's completely shit-faced._

Sora tried desperately to get a reaction out of the rock star as Riku carried him out of the elevator, into the hallway, and eventually into the penthouse suite. The Silveret seemed impervious as he somberly walked across the main living area and kitchen toward his own section of the shared hotel space. He freed his hand from the brunet's shoulders by using Sora's newfound enthusiasm for his earlobe (the author was now practically straddling the rock star mid-air) and was able to retrieve the key from his pocket. Once his door was open, Riku walked to the bed and immediately detached the brunet from his body, plopping him down on the mattress. Assuming that this was a good thing and that he was going to get what he wanted, Sora began eagerly taking off his sweatshirt. A firm hand stopped him, though.

"Don't bother, Sora." Riku walked away from the bed and went to the mini-fridge in his small kitchen area. He pulled out a bottle of water and drank from it greedily, hoping that the liquid would wash away his thoughts, too. His efforts were in vain, however. They still plagued his mind like shrouds of black demons.

"Why?" The brunet pouted and crawled on all fours to the edge of the bed closest to the rock star. Riku closed his eyes and pretended that it wasn't adorable and that he wasn't feeling the things that Sora was making him feel at that given moment in time. _It's not fair, this isn't fair!_

"Because you're drunk." Riku explained.

"You were drunk last night." Sora frowned, recalling how the Silveret had drank before they had gone into the shower just barely twenty four hours before, his expression barely serious. He was a happy drunk. He wasn't a pouty, sad drunk, and Riku was making him into one.

"Not as drunk as you are. How much did you drink, Sora? You reek of booze." The rock star shook his head in contempt. He hated this. Hated every second of it.

"Enough." Sora hiccupped.

"I'm not sleeping with you when you're wasted." There was a certain sternness to Riku's voice that made the brunet cringe. "I refuse to take advantage of you like that."

"You're not taking advantage of me." Sora slowly began taking off his sweatshirt once again. "I want you, Riku. I really, really do!"

"Shut up, Sora." The rock star shook his head and moved around the kitchen counter toward the bed once again. He picked up the discarded sweatshirt that Sora had thrown off of himself and folded it neatly. He was then hit in the face by a shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

By the time Riku had removed the articles of clothing from his head, he noticed that Sora was completely naked in front of him. Tanned, delicious skin contrasted with the white of his silk sheets, and the smaller boy coyly smiled at him in a very _come hither_ fashion. The Silveret swallowed, reigning in all of his will-power, and walked toward the bed. Once he was standing at the edge the author got to his knees, still a few inches shorter than the Silveret even on the raised mattress, and slid his fingers into the rock star's hair before pulling their lips together.

A thousand things were running through Sora's mind rapidly, as if his brain couldn't keep up with the emotions his body was producing. He could feel Riku's soft, supple lips underneath his own as they weakly moved against his ministrations. He could feel the heat radiating off of that muscular, pale body and wanted nothing more than Riku hovering over him, covering him with that warmth, making him feel _whole _again.

No—wait! Sora's mind tried to retrace its steps and figure out where the urge to feel _whole_ had come from, because last time he had checked he wasn't broken. He was happy! He was getting married!

_He tastes like whiskey… _Riku thought to himself as he pulled away; he panted after a moment, resting his forehead against the smaller man's.

"Riku, don't think. Please, _please_ don't think. I need you, Riku. I want you, too. I want you next to me, holding me, touching me, _inside_ me. Please— please, please, please!" Raw emotion came pouring out of the brunet in the form of words. Riku went white as he listened to Sora speak, never assuming that he'd hear the words _'I need you, Riku'_ come out of the author ever again. They were trapped in each other's gaze and light grasp as well.

"Sora, you don't know what you're saying. You're completely trashed." Riku shook his head, trying to rid his mind of those beautiful words the author had said.

"I know what I want, Riku. I don't care if I'm drunk. You made me feel alive last night, and I haven't felt like that in years. I haven't felt that way since the day you left me." Sora choked out. "Please, Riku, make me feel that way again. Make everything else melt away so all I can feel is you and me and how _perfect_ it is when we collide."

"Sora…" The rock star's willpower quickly began fading. He tightened his grip on the smaller man's biceps and looked into those cerulean eyes, trying to find some truth in them. Was this his chance? Was this his opportunity to finally win Sora back? If what he was saying was true, then obviously there was still something there between them. Maybe all he needed to do was to just say those three magic words that he meant with every beat of his heart.

It was then, in that crucial moment that was the make or break for their future, that Sora vomited all over the billionaire before passing out, never even hearing Riku's passion filled _I love you_.


	13. Chapter 13

_Riku Docken was exceptionally unconcerned with the fact that he was late to the very first day of his creative writing class. It was September of his sophomore year of high school and by now he was relatively well established as a 'cool-kid'. Being late didn't matter if you were cool—in fact, it almost made you cooler—and the silver haired teen was well aware of that fact as he slowly sauntered down the nearly empty hallway. He finally rounded the corner to the classroom door and slowly slid his way in the entry, eyeing up the room. He flicked his head to the left, swishing his long silver hair out of his eyes, and took advantage of the fact that the teacher hadn't settled the class in yet, and most of the students were still happily chatting away about their first day of school. Riku rolled his eyes at the animated blabber, obviously already over the whole "first day" situation, and moved to sit by the only person who had an empty chair next to them at their computer desk. _

"_Hey, I'm Riku. What's up?" The silveret did his best to sound apathetic, and the brunet teen next to him ignored the other man as he slowly slid into the computer chair and slumped his bag over the side. Sora decided to remove his nose from his book and take a closer gaze at the kid sitting next to him._

"_What's up? Really?" Sora mused before sighing in annoyance. "Ask me what my name is, don't ask me 'what's up'; you sound lazy and undignified." The brunet immediately turned his attention back to his book, which he was rapidly pouring over word by word. _

_The silveret frowned, temporarily pondering the idea of never saying another word to the brunet again as punishment for calling out a kid so obviously as cool as himself, and crossed his arms while leaning back in his chair. He figured that anybody as stand-offish as this guy was someone he didn't need around, but when he turned to give the teen a glare, he couldn't bring himself to do it._

_Instead of glaring, the silveret found himself trying to restart his heart. It wasn't possible for a boy to be that beautiful, was it? He hadn't seen a single person he had been so inexplicably attracted to in the matter of a few seconds before. This unnamed kid had everything Riku could have ever wanted—plump, rosy lips, tanned skin, bright blue eyes that were swiftly gazing over sentence after sentence in his book, and a small, petit body that had him holding in his breath. Butterflies erupted in Riku's stomach, and the "cool" teen wasn't prepared for them; they came out of his body by the way of sound—he let out one light, airy laugh that immediately caught the brunet's attention. Sora turned in his computer chair and set his book on the table, raising an eyebrow at the silver haired teen suspiciously. In a frantic attempt to not look like an idiot, Riku blurted out the first thing that came to his head._

"_So, what _is_ your name?" He stammered, losing all traces of apathy, authority, and "cool" that he had wanted the brunet to perceive about him. The petit teen took a moment to eye the silveret up and down before smiling softly. The brunet started to speak, but was immediately cut off by the teacher calling the class into session for the day. Riku felt his heart drop and worried that his chance to redeem himself with the other man may have been lost; just when he was started to sulk, he felt something nudge his hand. He looked over to see the brunet diligently staring at their teacher, but his hand was wandering over and bumping into the silveret's. Riku looked down and opened his fingers so that the other boy could drop a small piece of paper into his hand. _

_The future rock star opened the paper up and smiled when he read it._

_**Sora West.**___

* * *

Roxie couldn't help but feel unburdened glee as her and Axel soared through the city on the rock star's bike, Electra. The wind whipped the bottom half of her wig that wasn't covered by her helmet wildly and it bit at her exposed skin, too. She loved the rush that speeding through the streets gave her and she couldn't help but feel that the whole experience was amplified by her arms currently being wrapped around a red headed billionaire's waist.

"Hold on tight!" He called out to her, barely audible through the muffling helmet and roaring wind. The dancer squeezed her arms around him in a crushing embrace and let her legs clench against his as well; Roxie was thankful that she was wearing her best pair of minimizing spandex—she very well could have been a true woman for how little she showed her manhood.

They soared through the night without a care in the world and only stopped once they reached the ocean's edge. The city sprawled out behind them as Axel turned his beloved motorcycle off and removed his helmet. He had taken them to a lonely and forgotten dock near the old industrial sector of the city that had long ago been abandoned for the more glamorous down-town. There were only a few other people around them—a young couple, a middle aged man and his dog, and a lone shadowy figure that neither the dancer nor the rock star noticed. All of the other beach goers were preoccupied with their own happenings to notice the two new arrivals.

"You owe me a story, Little Miss Sunshine." Axel prompted her as he removed her helmet and set it down on the motorcycle. Roxie took a moment to flatten out her wig (while frantically hoping she had secured it with enough bobby-pins that it wasn't now coming loose) before she smiled toothily at the billionaire in front of her.

"Why'd you take me here?" She asked as she began padding her way toward the water down the rickety, old, wooden planks of the dock. She took light steps to avoid splinters on her bare feet. Axel watched her with amusement before following her lead.

"I like to come here whenever I'm in the city. I used to sit at the end of the dock when I was younger—I grew up right over there," he pointed to the rundown apartment buildings behind them. "It's my spot to get away from it all and just watch the tide come in." Axel shrugged his shoulders and caught up with the blonde. She eyed him quizzically when they made it to the very end of the dock. Roxie figured that since she wasn't wearing shoes anyway, it wouldn't be a bad idea to stick her feet in the water. It was warm out, after all.

"What do you have to get away from?" Roxie frowned as she lower herself into a sitting position on the edge of the dock, and then dunked her legs into the water. Axel sat down next to her and slowly removed his shoes and socks, setting them to his left side sine Roxie was on his right. His feet then joined hers in the cool, refreshing waves.

"Me? Everything." Axel sighed and leaned back on his hands so he was looking up at the stars while his feet dangled in the water.

"But you're one of the richest, most famous men on Earth." Roxie reminded him, pointing to a billboard not even half a mile away that his face could be seen on. Riku, Marluxia, and Demyx were all there too.

"Exactly. It's not all roses and daisies, Sunshine." Axel used his pet name for the blonde.

"What could be so bad about Hollywood?" The performer asked. She took the opportunity to nudge Axel's leg with her foot. The red head smiled weakly.

"Hollywood?" He snorted and shook his head. "It's a Wicked Little Town." He sat up straight, then, and turned his head to face her. She looked at him with an inquisitive expression, and Axel couldn't help but feel his heart flutter. What in the world had gotten into him, lately? She was just an author's assistant… with the best voice he had ever heard, a body to die for, and a smile that killed.

"A Wicked Little Town?" She repeated, questioning. He nodded.

"A Wicked Little Town filled with nasty people who will stop at nothing to tear you to pieces if you let them." Axel informed her. "I got very lucky by joining _The World That Never Was_. I never have to worry about money ever again, and I love fame, Roxie. Don't get me wrong, I truly do love fame. There's something about the lights on the stage and the cheering of the crowd that sets my blood alive, you know?"

"…I know." The blonde replied quietly, pensively. She knew the rush all too well.

"But," he continued with a slight frown. "It is such a Wicked Little Town. Riku, Marlu, and Dem are the only people in this world that I consider my friends. I have only a handful of people beside them that I even consider trusting. When you live the life I live, there are people who want to cut you down and rip you to shreds just to get a taste of what you have. I understand that, you know? I get what it's like to have nothing—to want more for yourself. I wasn't always famous. I was scraping at the bottom once too, and I worked hard to get where I am."

"You're a wonderful songwriter and musician, and I have no doubt in my mind that you've worked hard to get where you are now." Roxie mentioned. She bashfully smiled at him, seemingly embarrassed for what she was about to say. "Axel, I think there's a lot more to you than you want the world to see. You play it off like you're a bad boy—and for all I know maybe you are—but, I can't help but think that it's a bit of an act. You're trying to protect yourself."

"Of course I am, Sunshine." He kicked her leg softly, playfully, as the water splashed over them both. "Like I said," the rock star paused and turned to give her a gentle smile. "It's a Wicked Little Town."

* * *

"_Hey West; whatcha writin' 'bout?" Riku lazily leaned back in his rolling chair as the class settled in to their hour of computer lab time. Creative Writing had proved to be far better than Riku had expected, especially because he spent his time tormenting the brunet ruthlessly. Well, tormenting was maybe the wrong word for it. He liked to think of his time with Sora as particularly enlightening because the smaller boy always had some sort of quick remark or witty comeback that managed to make the silveret smile; Riku also loved to read the brunet's writing, because for some reason the brunet had a way with words that no one else did. Any song Riku tried to write was instantly made better by Sora's intense desire to prove to Riku that he was, in fact, a better writer than the taller boy, whether it be prose or lyrical._

"_Riku, I'm really behind on this project because you keep bothering me, and I'd appreciate it if you were literally anywhere but here right now." Sora ignored the silver hair that was now dangling in front of his keyboard, which was Riku's bored attempt at distracting him. The brunet was furiously typing away._

"_But I have more lyrics I want you to look at." The taller boy whined, shoving a piece of notebook paper into the brunet's field of vision. Cerulean eyes narrowed into slits as the paper slowly began covering up his keyboard; luckily, he didn't need to see it to type. He focused his attention in the words flowing onto the computer screen instead. "Sora…" Riku called to him, though the brunet wasn't listening. "Sooooooora…" Riku moved his lips directly next to the smaller boy's ear and recited his name to get his attention; the brunet never so much as blinked._

_Riku looked around the computer room with distaste. How dare Sora ignore him? They were friends, after all, right? Actually, the more that Riku thought about it, he didn't know whether or not he and Sora were friends, per say. Sure, they spent time together in class and that was pleasant for Riku and at least tolerable for the brunet, since the smaller boy had never moved seats away from Riku (which, in Riku's 15 year old mind, meant that he had to at least be tolerating him); but, they never talked besides class. The silveret frowned momentarily, thinking about the small crush he had been harboring for the pouty-lipped boy that was still ignoring him. He liked Sora and wanted to be around him more than just the hour period they had together. It had been a few weeks since the start of school, and he had been hoping more would have come out of his efforts by now. _

Well_, Riku thought to himself,_ I'll just have to step up my game if I'm going to make this kid be my friend._ Riku didn't dare think about the possibility of dating Sora, since that would mean he'd have to admit he was gay, which was effectively both social and literal suicide. You'd have to have a serious death wish to come out as homosexual because there would most likely be mobs of other teenagers ready to burn down your house and beat you senseless for it. No, it was too dangerous to tell Sora how he felt, so the brunet would probably never know. Riku still wanted to be around him more than anything, though, and he was determined to find a way to do it._

"_What are you writing?" The future rock star set upon bothering Sora with renewed vigor. He leaned forward in his swivel chair and placed his hands on the table, pulling himself directly next to the brunet. Sora let out a small, surprised gasp before closing down his word document and turning to glare at the silveret furiously._

"_None of your business, that's what!" Sora blurted out, lightly poking the taller boy's shoulder. Riku, torn between laughing and staring dumbfounded in shock, simply let out a weak puff of air._

"_What was that for?" He asked as Sora sighed and deflated in his seat._

"_You can't read what I'm writing until it's finished, okay?" He looked up at the other boy with a pout on his face. Riku was smitten._

"_Awh, come one, West. Let me read it—you're the best writer I know." Sora, impervious to Riku's sweet talking, folded his arms and shook his head._

"_I told you, you can't read it until it's done. Can't you just do your own work for a change?" Sora teased him, referencing the fact that the brunet had written every single one of Riku's papers so far._

"_I don't like change." Riku smirked as Sora rolled his eyes. "Fine, Sor. I won't read it until it's done. But will you help me with these lyrics, then?" He picked up the piece of notebook paper once more and shook it vigorously at the smaller boy. Sora laughed and nodded his head._

"_Sure," he started, and just as Riku triumphantly threw a fist in the air, Sora continued. "But on one condition—"_

"_What?!" Riku groaned, assuming the worst._

"_Come over to my house on Friday and I'll help you then." Sora offered. Riku, trying to hold on to some semblance of his sophomore year 'cool', gave him a half-hearted nod of the head._

"_Yeah, sure, whatever." He sounded apathetic while his heart exploded with joy._

* * *

"So, what about _you_?" Axel asked her. Roxie turned her head in confusion and looked up at the taller man.

"What _about _me?" She replied. The red head smirked and knocked her foot with his once more.

"Why aren't you a member of the Wicked Little Town? Roxie, you know you're good enough to be famous. You told me yesterday morning during my interview that you almost made it big." He prodded, pulling information from their earlier discussion. In all honesty, Axel was surprised he remembered anything about Roxie at all. He wasn't like this with women. What they had to say normally went in one of his ears and then out the other, unless the words were coming from Larxene; then they never went in at all.

"I did…" She started. Her demeanor suddenly changed, and she closed herself off from the red head. Axel, startled by the shift in personality, let his hand gently rest on her shoulder as she leaned away from him.

"Roxie?" He was surprised to find concern in his voice.

"Have you ever heard of Mrs. Lot?" The singer, bathed in the twinkling starlight and glossed over by the shine of the moon, looked up at Axel with shimmering and glistening eyes. She wasn't crying despite the shutdown of her usual flirty self, which the rock star took as a good sign.

"Mrs. Lot?" He repeated, not sure where she was going with the change of subject. He hadn't meant to shift her demeanor to a person so tightly locked away. What was Roxie Hart hiding from him?

"Yeah, Mrs. Lot. Have you read the book of Genesis?" Slowly she leaned into the touch that Axel was providing on her shoulder. She loved the warm feeling of his skin contrasting with the slightly cool waves splashing against her legs. The ocean air rolled over the pair once more with a comforting breeze.

"Oh, Lot's wife? Yeah, my grandmother was devoutly religious. She's the one that raised me, so I guess you could say I'm technically religious too?" Axel mentioned, wondering why he still had his hand on the girl. He took it off only to find it moving to her other shoulder, the one farthest away from him. He sat dumbfounded as his body instinctively pulled the small, pretty performer close to his own form. She seemed to fit into his side perfectly. "Two angels saved Lot and his family, urging them to flee to escape the impending doom of Sodom; they warned them to keep going forward and to never look back."

"Right; 'but Lot's wife looked back as she lingered behind him, and became a pillar of salt'," Roxie, now leaning against Axel's warm and inviting side, with her head resting on his shoulder while his arm was draped around her, sighed pensively. "Axel, _I'm_ Mrs. Lot. If I turn around to look at the past and what happened to me I'll turn to salt and I'll never keep moving forward."

A wave slowly lapped at their feet and the red head pulled the blonde a bit closer as he felt a slight chill from the water. She looked up at him with her beautiful blue eyes and batted her lashes tentatively. Axel had no idea what to do except kiss her; so he did.

* * *

_The Friday night they spent at Sora's parent's farmhouse had made them inseparable best friends. Several weeks had gone by and Sora had continued to feverishly work on his creative writing project while Riku continued to slack off in class. They sat by each other at lunch and Sora even introduced Riku to his friends Cloud and Squall (the latter of the two refused to go by Squall and would only answer to the name Leon, which had confused the hell out of the silveret for the first few days); they often hung out after school and sometimes on the weekends depending on whether or not they were all free. Riku couldn't have been happier. _

"_Earth to Riku…" Sora waved his hand in front of the silveret's face as the future rock star stared off into space at his locker. They had stopped by to grab his book filled with song lyrics before going to creative writing. The silveret stood in front of the locker while Sora leaned against the next one over, holding his books to his chest as his head slowly rolled back onto the cool, blue metal._

"_Oh, sorry, Sor. I was just thinking." Riku apologized and quickly shuffled to grab his notebook. When he was finished he closed his locker, only to find a menacing face hiding behind it. The silveret nearly jumped out of his skin, startled, and Sora cracked a smirk. "Can I help you?" Riku asked the face that had popped up next to him; it belonged to Seifer._

"_Where have you been, Docken? We've barely seen you for weeks." The blond sneered. _

"_I've been busy, man." Riku replied while taking a quick glance in Sora's direction. The brunet, who had a reputation for being absolutely terrified of any confrontation in any situation (the brunet's mother and father had told Riku a delightful story about how Sora was so afraid of walking as a child that he used to move around by dragging his bottom on the floor for a year, earning him the nickname "_Scoots"_), was holding true to his description; he was currently trying to look as small as possible next to Riku's locker._

"_Busy?" Seifer scoffed. "Busy hanging out with fucking scatter-brain Sora and his faggot brigade?" The blond teen let out a low chortle as he insulted Riku's new friends._

_The silveret's eyes lowered into a glare. Sure, he had been ignoring his other friends for a bit of time in his attempt to win Sora's affection, but he highly doubted that his absence warranted the rude and uncalled for names. He had barely seen or liked those friends anyway, and had been around them only for the sole purpose of them being the "cool" kids, and Riku had always imagined himself as being "cool" when he got into high school._

"_Cool it, Seif. Don't talk like that about them." The future rock star made sure to put himself between his old friend and Sora. He could practically hear the brunet shaking with fear._

"_Why are you protecting them, huh?" Seifer lightly pushed at Riku's shoulder. "Got a soft spot for retards?" _

"_Are you for real, dude?" Riku shook his head in disbelief and grabbed Sora's wrist, shoving past Seifer and heading toward their creative writing lab. "First of all, you and I are _not_ friends, so don't bother coming to my locker and checking up on where I've been anymore. Second of all, don't you ever talk about my actual friends that way; they're not the 'faggot brigade' and they're not retards, and Sora isn't a scatter-brain. He's smarter than you'll ever be and you'd do well to realize that no matter how great you think you are, he will always be better. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to get to class." _

_In an angry huff the two teens walked toward their lab. Sora's smaller legs were practically running to keep up with the silveret's fury induced speed. His silver hair swished around as he walked and Sora lightly pulled on it to have some sort of reign on his friend. They rounded the corner into the classroom and Riku threw himself into his swivel chair and Sora into his. The brunet boy, still in a slight amount of shock, opened his mouth to apologize._

"_Riku, I didn't mean to—" He began, but the silveret cut him off with a stern look and a pointed finger._

"_Don't you _ever_ let someone treat you like that again, Sora. I know you're afraid of your own shadow and you would have let him call you names all day long instead of sticking up for yourself, but I won't stand for it. You, Cloud, and Leon have shown me more about true friendship in the past few weeks than any friends I've ever had in my life; you three are perfect, and I refuse to let anyone say otherwise." Riku's anger obviously had not left the equation as he sternly spoke his mind to the brunet. Sora faltered for a moment._

"…_P-perfect?" He stuttered, staring wide-eyed at the teen in front of him._

"_You heard me, West. I'd rather have you than pretty much anyone else." This signaled the end of their conversation as he began dicking around on the internet instead of completing his assignment. _

_The brunet smiled softly as he booted up his computer. Riku Docken had called him perfect. What a day._

* * *

Roxie and Axel talked until the sun began to rise. It seemed to slip their mind that the night wouldn't last forever and that at some point they'd have to leave each other's company to do simple things like sleep and eat. For now, though, they were pretending that those things would never have to happen, and they were happily watching the night fade to day together.

"You know," He started. "I've never done _this_ with a girl either." Axel joked, remembering how Roxie had him take her shoes off hours before at the Cabaret. He smiled at the thought of those shoes being left behind.

"Watched the sun rise?" The blonde mused as she snuggled in a bit closer to his chest. They had remained cuddling since Axel wrapped his arm around her.

"Never. I've only done this with the band and my grandma." Axel shrugged his shoulders as the sky continued to turn a lovely shade of red.

"I feel like the only people you care about are your band and your grandmother." Roxie giggled softly as she let her fingers play with a few strands of fire red hair.

"That's completely true, Little Miss Sunshine." Axel returned her laughter. "I've never been able to love anyone or anything but the band and Granny Andrus, and I probably never will be able to."

"Really?" Roxie pulled away from his chest for a moment, intrigued that the red head was opening up to her. Axel, mildly annoyed that the singer was no longer snuggled next to him, repositioned his weight so that he was more comfortably sitting on the wooden planks of the dock.

"It makes sense, doesn't it? I've already told you how much people bore me. No one on this Earth can hold my attention for more than a minute, it seems. I'm not sure if it's the overstimulation from all the people, parties, booze, lights, and cameras, but for some reason I just can't ever see myself caring about anyone that isn't already in my life." Axel confessed, slowly sinking back onto his arms so that he was leaning to look at the sun. Roxie followed suit.

"That's such a shame, Mien Herr." The blonde smiled sadly while looking into the red head's green eyes. "There's nothing more rewarding in the world than being truly vulnerable with someone and letting them love you, and loving them in return." There was a hint of nostalgia in the singer's voice.

"You've been in love, then?" The rock star asked her, genuinely interested.

"Once." Roxie closed herself off again; Axel immediately regretted asking her the question. He quickly tried to change the subject to get the carefree and bright girl he had been spending the night with back.

"But what about Sora; you love him, right?" He figured that the topic of her best friend would be something that opened her back up.

"Does the sun rise in the east?" She rolled her eyes and sat up so that she was leaning on one arm above the red head. "Of course I love Sora. He's one of the best people to grace the face of the Earth and no one could ever convince me otherwise." She beamed at him.

"Well I mean I think Riku's great and all, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he's the best person to walk the Earth?" The red head laughed, and then suddenly shot upright, startling the blonde. "You're supposed to tell me why you punched him in the face!" He exclaimed with glee.

"Oh, that's right…" Roxie snorted with laughter at the thought of what she had done. She'd definitely have to apologize to the silveret at some point. "Well, speaking of Sora and Riku…" She wiggled her eyebrows at the rock star and suggestively gave him a wink.

"Are you serious?" Axel blanched as the pieces came together. He knew Riku was gay, but he also knew that Riku hadn't had sex for ten years!

"Yes I'm serious. I never lie, Mien Herr. Remember that about me." She reprimanded him. "I don't know all the details, but what I do know is that Riku and Sora used to date when they were in high school. Riku broke up with him to start _The World That Never Was_' big break."

"And you punched Riku in the face because he's blackmailing Sora into sleeping with him?" Axel was absolutely astounded. Not only did he not know about the brunet and silveret's previous relationship, he also was completely mortified that Riku Docken would coerce another human being into forcible sex. Riku was the good one out of the two of them, after all. Axel was the motorcycle-riding, womanizing, care-free bad boy, and Riku was the sensitive, empathetic, and caring golden boy.

"Yup, that's exactly why I punched your best friend in the face; I'd say I'm sorry but I'm absolutely not." Roxie scoffed and sat up so that she was no longer hover over the red-head in temptation.

"Riku's not like that." Axel informed her. "Even if he's gay, he's not like that." The moment the words left the rock star's mouth he knew they were wrong—biased, judgmental, derogatory.

"Excuse me?" Roxie blinked at him in disbelief. She began to get up from the dock, presumably to leave the red head to his

"Let me rephrase that; you have to understand that I'm not a homophobe. I do everything that I can to personally vanquish the idea that gay men and women are worth less than the heterosexual population, that they are inherently evil due to their sexuality, and that they can actively decide to not be gay." He explained to the dancer. "I grew up in the slums with a grandmother who had almost nothing but her religion. God gave her comfort and gave her strength to endure the hardship of taking care of her only son's child after he abandoned me; that love and fear of God made her a brash, hateful woman when it came to the concept of homosexuality, though, and it rubbed off on me in ways that I wish it hadn't; it rubbed off on me in ways that I am actively trying to fix through educating myself. I know that society says that gays are dirty and sinful and wrong and that they need to be punished, but I'm just not so sure that's true. Riku may be the only gay person I know—well, I suppose I know _of_ far more after coming to your Cabaret, though I don't _know_ them personally—but Riku is the type of person that people look up to. He's a change agent; he makes the world a better place. I can't even begin to tell you how much money he donates to charities and to organizations that give kids homes or give women a refuge from their husbands that rough them up, and I sure as hell can't count the number of times he's gone to see a kid because it was their dying wish to meet their favorite rock star. Riku's that kind of guy, you know? The kind that doesn't write songs about how much he wants to fuck someone or how fun it was to get high out of his mind; that's the shit that I write because it sells and because I don't know what love is or how to write about it or what it fucking means to care about someone other than myself. That guy is so good, and honest, and pure, and all he ever fucking wanted out of life was to make music that made people feel something. So sure, Riku may be gay, but I'll be damned if I'm not more of a sinner than he is with all my fucking drugs, parties, and rock and roll. I bet you're a sinner too, aren't you?" Axel looked up at those blue, blue eyes in desperation.

"Of course I'm a sinner, Axel." She had teared up early on in Axel's speech and was now doing her best to silently reign in her crying because she was awfully embarrassed to be sniffling in front of one of the most famous men on Earth. "But don't you dare say you're incapable of feeling love; did you hear yourself talking at all? You love Riku more than you know— most people in this world don't just give up their rigid belief that homosexuals are evil, Axel, and you even had the disadvantage of coming from a background that would encourage you to hold on to those beliefs even tighter."

"Yeah, but I don't love Riku like Riku needs someone to love him. He's been alone for ten years, Roxie. Ten years of him watching all of us either get married or run around with women while he has to hide in the shadows because it's not _okay_ for him to be happy in the eyes of society. Can you imagine what it does to a person having to hide like that? I know that doesn't make it excusable to blackmail Sora, and I'm going to talk to him about it, but I just… I almost sympathize."

* * *

_Tuesday greeted them with rain, and Riku was unhappy about it. He was walking home from school and found that it was particularly unpleasant outside and he would have much rather taken the bus home; he and Sora had stayed after school to work on their creative writing projects, however, and now the silveret was on his way well after all the busses had left. He was also upset about the fact that Sora had not bothered to walk back with him, saying that he was going to soak up some more time in the computer lab instead to work no his own projects. _

_The silveret was even more frustrated when he realized he forgotten his fucking back-pack at school._

_Thus began the ten minute trek back through the rain and the path that he had just taken so he could retrieve all of his homework for the weekend. Did he necessarily want to walk through the muck and the mud back to get his meaningless homework? No. He couldn't think of any reason to go grab the blasted work expect for the fact that Sora refused to take "but I'm going to be a rock star—rock star's don't do homework!" as an acceptable answer when Riku showed up without it done._

_His anger had helped the walk go faster and he was now rounding the corner to the back entrance of the school. He was maybe fifty yards away when he started to hear something suspicious, and only about thirty yards away when the commotion was completely audible._

"_L-look, I didn't b-beg R-Riku to be my f-friend…" A voice that was distinctly terrified in the way that only Sora's could be managed to stutter out a sentence. Riku groaned internally, knowing very damn well that his old friends must have been giving the brunet boy trouble._

"_You must have—you really think that Riku likes you? He just feels sorry for you, Sora. He feels sorry for you because you're a pussy and a fag." Seifer's cruel, mean sneer could be heard in his words, and Riku picked up his pace and began running through the mud in order to reach his best friend in time._

"_That's not true." Sora tried to sound firm when he spoke. He was absolutely scared shitless and knew very well that he was about to get the ass-whooping of a lifetime, though, so he didn't feel too put off by sounding weak when he spoke. After all, he was weak. He was a frail, thin, scrawny sophomore in high school that hated confrontation and was horrified of conflict. _

"_Whatcha got in your hands, Sora?" Raijin, one of Seifer's friends who must have been harassing the brunet alongside his leader, spoke maliciously as he ripped a pile of papers out of the smaller boy's hands. Sora let out a yelp and reached frantically for them, but it was too late. "'_The Origin of Love', _eh? Hey, Fujin, come take a look at this. Wittle Baby Sowa is in looooove." He shoved the smaller boy to the ground and Sora hit the mud with a sickening splat._

_Riku rounded the corner and punched the first person he could reach; Seifer managed to get the full force of the unexpected blow to the face as the silveret pummeled him. Raijin and Fujin cried pout in alarm, never really thinking that they'd be caught for their little hate crime. Riku was furious as he shoved Seifer to the ground and began to kick the shit out of the blond haired teen; Raijin pulled the silveret away and tried to land a hit before Riku whirled around and clocked him clean across the jaw as well. By the time Fujin was the only one left standing Sora finally had the sense to say something. _

"_Riku! Cut it out!" He cried, finally catching the taller boy's attention and drawing it away from the bloody and bruised teens he had been beating the snot out of just seconds before. The look on the brunet's face made it clear that he thought that his bullies had learned their lessons and that the silveret no longer needed to teach it to them. _

"_Get out of my sight," Riku barked to the three offending teens, and Fujin scrambled to help her friends off of the ground. "Don't you _**ever**_ lay a hand on him again. If I see any one of you assholes near Sora or any of my other friends you'll wish you had never been born. Do I make myself fucking clear?" He practically growled as he spoke the words._

_The three teens nodded and made their way off of the school grounds as Seifer hobbled and his friends struggled to hold him upright. They knew far better than to report what had happened to the principal or any of the other school authorities since they had been the ones in the wrong in the first place, and Sora West's word was as good as gold in the eyes of adults._

_Riku composed himself and turned to his friend who was still flabbergasted, sitting in the mud with a look on his face that the silveret could never forget. Sora was a mixture of awe, horror, and complete and utter embarrassment. The taller of the two boys stuck out his hand and grasped on to the brunet's smaller one, hoisting him up and out of the muck. They were both soaking wet from the rain and they moved underneath the protective shield on the building's awning._

"_Riku… I…" Sora had no idea what to say. Luckily enough, Riku had words for the both of them._

"_Stop it," he scolded. "You were about to apologize to me, and don't you fucking dare." _

"_But Riku—"_

"_No fucking buts." He whirled around to face the smaller teen and slid both hands onto Sora's cheeks, holding his face still and staring straight into his cerulean irises. Riku blinked away the blood that had been clouding his vision (his rage had kept him from noticing it before) and suddenly realized that he had smeared blood on the brunet's face as well. He jerked his hands away and looked at the red stains covering his palms in surprise._

"_You're not bleeding, are you?" Sora sounded concerned as he took the silveret's hands into his own to inspect them. Riku smiled softly._

"_It's not my blood." He smirked for a second. "Sora, I'll walk you home; I don't want them bothering you and I'd feel better if I was around."_

_The two boys set off toward Sora's parent's farm house. It was a thirty minute walk and they spent the first twenty in complete silence as Riku began to notice the dull throbbing of his knuckles and the ache in his bones. Sora was utterly speechless; what could he say? Riku had just saved him from getting the shit kicked out of him, and he didn't quite know how to thank somebody for that sort of thing._

_Eventually he managed to find words that he thought would suffice. _

"_You can read it, if you want to. I finished it." He casually mentioned as the two boys wandered through the rain in the general direction of Sora's house. Riku absent-mindedly hummed in response before realizing what Sora was saying._

"_Can I read it now?" He inquired._

"_Well, seeing as it already landed in the mud, I don't think a little rain will hurt it very much." Sora shrugged as he took off his back-pack and unzipped it, pulling out the worn pieces of paper. The taller boy smiled as the story was handed to him, and he took a look at the front page with great interest._

"'The Origin of Love_', huh?" He looked it up and down before Sora solemnly nodded, obviously nervous for his friend to read the words written on the next pages._

_As they walked Riku silently read, Sora leading him along the way so that he didn't run into anything or get hurt. The silveret was instantly absorbed into the smaller boy's writing style, wondering how on Earth he had never noticed how good Sora was before. Every syllable had him clinging and grasping for more, and the syntax was absolutely perfect; the diction was extraordinarily eloquent._

_Sora's story spoke of time in history when the earth wasn't round, clouds were made of volcanic ash, and the mountains stretched toward the sky endlessly. The people who lived on this earth had four arms, four legs, and two heads; they were two people in one. They did everything together and never left each other's sides, cart rolling around the earth. The children of the earth were two women put together, the children of the moon were a woman and a man smashed into one, and the children of the sun were two men. The two people, all rolled up together into one person, one soul, were ridiculously powerful._

_The Gods grew fearful of the power from the people, and set to destroy their abilities. Zeus, who feared the power of man the most, had the idea to cut the people in half and leave them to suffer without one another. Just as he thought it should be, it was done, and the children of the sun, moon, and earth were split into two separate beings with their mouths at their naval and they were then scattered across the earth by a raging storm._

_The people, now half-whole, sought their soul-mates out relentlessly. When they came together they would latch on to one another with an indescribable strength, desperate to be whole again. Zeus took pity on the creatures and rearranged their bodies so that they now had their features facing the front so that the children of the sun, earth, and moon could be whole again._

"_Sora... this was phenomenal." Riku had finished reading the story once they arrived at the brunet's front porch. Vida West and her husband, Passif, could be heard on the other side of the screened in windows making dinner as Sora's younger sisters Aerith and Olette frolicked inside._

"_You think so?" The brunet shuffled his feet and looked down at the wooden porch humbly._

"_I loved it, Sor." Riku lifted up the other boy's face with his thumb and his index finger by gently guiding the tan boy's chin. Once Sora was looking back at the silveret, they both froze, not knowing what to do. They were so close together in such a precarious position._

"_Riku…" Sora blinked as he stared at the chiseled features of the silveret. "Are you a child of the moon or a child of the sun?"_

_For a moment Riku had thought he misheard the words coming from the smaller boy, but after a second of consideration he knew they were deliberate. He knew that standing there, hiding from the rain underneath the West family porch, holding Sora's chin, standing so close together, that the brunet was searching for an answer to a question that he wasn't allowed to ask. _

_Riku Docken kissed Sora West underneath the protection of the porch on that fateful rainy Tuesday._

"_I'm a child of the sun." Riku was firm with his words, letting them sink into the smaller boy's consciousness; he let go of the brunet's chin and stepped off of the porch into the rain, heading his way back home. When Sora processed what the taller boy said, the world shifted and was never the same._

* * *

Their first adventure of the night had started with Roxie running from the private booth without any shoes; their first adventure of the morning was stopping by the hotel suite to grab Roxie a pair of shoes and some more comfortable clothing—they were on a mission, after all.

Somewhere around seven in the morning the dancer had made it clear that she wanted to know more about the infamous "Granny Andrus" and how she was the only woman Axel would ever love. The red-head, still not quite ready to leave the vivacious blonde's company, had agreed to tell her more about the elderly woman, but only on one condition: Roxie had to promise to meet her.

So there they were, zipping in and out of the morning traffic in the city, Roxie in some of Axel's clothes and Axel in some of Axel's clothes, on their way to the nursing home in which Granny Andrus lived. They pulled up to the visitor parking and Roxie shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked at the name on the place. They were at the most expensive and elaborate nursing home in the entire city and the dancer had a good guess of who was paying for the bill. The red head hooked their helmets up to _Electra_ and grabbed the blonde's hand gently to guide her toward the entrance of the building.

Inside they were greeted by a friendly and pretty receptionist who seemed to be rather unsurprised with the arrival of Axel Andrus, the world's second most famous man behind Riku Docken.

"Good morning Mr. Andrus!" She chirped as Axel signed the visitor book. Roxie shuffled on her feet, suddenly feeling very self-conscious in her borrowed sweat-pants and t-shirt. She still looked feminine enough due to her make-up and wig, but both of those items were rather unkempt since they had been on all night long, and Roxie herself looked haggard as she had been awake for twenty-four hours at this point. The receptionist was awfully beautiful in comparison.

"Please, call me Axel." The red-head winked at her and gave his trade-mark sex smirk. Roxie caught herself before she frowned, knowing better. _He's not yours, Hart. Pull yourself together._

One short walk down a hallway and one lonely elevator ride brought them to the fourth floor of the building, which was designated for memory care; Roxie had read so on a sign as they walked in the facility. The blonde looked around at the pleasantly decorated interior and followed the famous rock star's footsteps.

Shortly after entering the unit, the pair began to hear cries coming from down one of the hallways. Axel's eyes widened in surprise and he quickened his pace; Roxie struggled to keep up with her shorter legs. They reached the dining room and found most of the residents awake and in their wheelchairs for breakfast. One woman in particular, though, was screaming and crying in her modified wheelchair—it looked more like a bed on wheels than anything else.

"Grandma!" Axel called out, though not in a panic. His voice was loving and sweet as he moved to the crying woman's side, replacing the nursing assistant that had been there trying to console the woman. The sight of her grandson had the elder suddenly smiling, clinging to the younger man's cheeks with glee. She kissed her rosary and held it next to Axel's face as well. "Hey, granny. I have someone I want you to meet." He waved Roxie over.

When the dancer approached the elderly woman, it was suddenly very clear to her that this may be the only time she would ever see Granny Andrus again—not because Axel would never take her, but because she doubted she would come again soon enough for the woman to still be alive. It was obvious that she was nearing the end of life; so she was incredibly frail, pale, and seemed to be suffering from the very late stages of dementia; she could no longer speak, refused to eat, and was inconsolable except for when she was touching her grandson's face.

"Hello, Granny Andrus." Roxie did her best to smile at the woman despite her mortal realization. Axel took one of his grandmother's hands and placed it in Roxie's. The rosary beads ironically wrapped around the dancer's hands, and the blonde wondered whether or not the old woman would somehow see through the fake clothes, the padded bra, and the pounds of make-up and reveal Roxie for the sinner she was. The demented woman was oblivious, however, and was simply pleased to see her grandson's face within her field of vision.

"I normally come a couple times a week whenever I'm not on tour to play music for everyone. Would you mind joining me?" Axel asked the dancer almost bashfully, as if singing for a group of old people with Alzheimer's would be beneath her. Roxie nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course I will." She followed the red-head to the small little clearing next to the window that had two stools and a guitar that sat in permanent residence next to the fire-place. Axel picked up the acoustic instrument and smiled as the residents that still could turned their attention toward him.

"Hi guys, I know it's been a few days since I was here last, but I've been a bit busy." He apologized to the small little crowd and let out a laugh when one of the dementia residents booed him off the stage before he had even begun. Roxie watched with awe at the way he interacted with the vulnerable adults. "Well, if no one else has any objections, I think that my friend and I will sing a little song for you." He strummed the guitar and the blonde recognized the familiar oldies tune.

"**When Madam Pompadour was on a ballroom floor, said all the gentlemen 'Obviously, the madam has the cutest- **_**personality**_**'**," Axel crooned as he strummed his guitar. Roxie found herself swaying as he sang, and several of the staff had stopped what they were doing to listen.

"**And think of all the books about Du Barry's looks. What was it made her the toast of Paree? She had a well-developed—**_**personality**_," The rock star was completely out of his usual genre of music. The old-timey voice he was using barely fit him, but it was endearing and Roxie loved the way he soulfully and playfully sang to the unusual audience in front of him. She nudged him softly to give him a signal that she was going to sing the female part; she knew the song from memory.

"**So don'tcha say I'm smart and have the kindest heart or what a wonderful sister I'd be; just tell me how you like my—**_**personality**_**.**" Roxie let her sultry voice compliment Axel's perfectly as she sang next to the rock star. He looked at her and smiled, a true, uninhibited smile, and they both sang the last lines while gleefully beaming at each other.

"**Baby, you've got the cutest—**_**personality!**_" The staff and the residents that were aware enough to do so clapped when they finished singing, and Granny Andrus had a left-over look of delight on her face as she now peacefully slept. Axel gave a short bow and Roxie pretended to curtsey as they slowly made their way out of the dining room. Some of the nurses stopped them and they chatted for a few moments.

"Who is this? Why have I never seen her before? Where have you been hiding you sweet little peach?" A nurse wrapped Roxie into a hug and the blonde gave Axel a pleading look for help. The red-head snorted and stole the nurse's attention so that she'd let Roxie out of her death grip.

"Lavonne, this is Roxie Hart. She's one of the authors of the band's new biography coming out." Axel explained while silently taking possession of the blonde singer once more, gently holding her hand and guiding her next to his side. Roxie felt her heart flutter and tried to stifle the butterflies in her stomach.

"Well you are just as adorable as any girl could ever hope to be. You treat her nice, Axel!" Lavonne playfully smacked the singer's arm and went back to her work, dotingly dabbing a bit of morning applesauce off of the chin of one of the memory care residents that was scooting by in their wheelchair. The two performers took the opportunity and escaped to the elevator.

"Thank you for taking me here; it was nice to see such a different side of you." Roxie expressed her gratitude once the elevator doors closed and they were alone.

"Don't get used to me being sweet, Little Miss Sunshine. Granny Andrus is the only woman I'll ever love, no matter how beautiful you are." He reminded her before running his fingers through her wig's curls. Roxie deflated internally after being brought back into reality.

"I guess I forgot that you care nothing for a girl's _personality_." Roxie sang the last word and playfully shoved the rock-star to the side. He cackled and they left the building together smiling.

* * *

Sora West woke up with one _hell_ of a hangover.

"Ugh…" He groaned outwardly as he opened his eyes into narrow slits. He peered around the room only to find he wasn't in his cramped and cluttered quarters, but was instead inside the spacious and clean hotel suite that belonged to Riku Docken. _Oh… that's right… the contract._ Sora thought to himself feebly as he attempted to remember how being alive worked. His head was pounding, his body was sweaty, and he felt like a thousand bricks were sitting on his chest. How was he still breathing?

"Oh, good, you're awake." Riku's voice sounded mildly annoyed as he spoke, but once he saw the condition the brunet was in, he softened up a bit. "Awh, jeez, you're an absolute mess, West."

"Thanks?" Sora managed to grumble out before puking over the side of the bed into a conveniently placed waste basket. Riku rolled his eyes and got up from his seat in the make-shift living room and walked his way toward the smaller man. Once he arrived at the bed, he sat down on the edge, gently rubbing the brunet's back while he hurled oh-so-gracefully.

"You shouldn't have gotten so wasted." Riku mentioned, pondering his choice of words. "If you didn't want to sleep with me, you could have just said so."

"It's not that I didn't want to sleep with you," Sora muttered as he kept his face in the waste bin. Riku continued to stoke his back affectionately, and the brunet was reminded of a much simpler time when things weren't so strange between them.

"I got that vibe when you were begging me to fuck you." Riku rolled his eyes, remembering the night before and Sora's crazy drunken confession.

"I did? Oh man…" Sora groaned and threw up once more.

"You totally did; though, you did puke on me right after." The rock star explained, and Sora let out another embarrassed moan.

"Riku, I'm so sorry." He weakly looked up from the trashcan and sighed. "I shouldn't have gotten so drunk, and you have every right to be mad at me. I haven't been very accommodating to this whole 'sex slave' thing."

"…Is that how you feel?" Riku suddenly sounded hurt. "You think you're my _sex slave?_"

"I didn't mean it like that." He threw up once more.

"Sora, I thought you wanted to do this..."

"I do!"

"Really? Because lately I'm getting the vibe that sleeping with me is more of a chore than it is anything else."

"I want to do this. I want this book."

"Is that all you want? The book?"

"Riku… we made a deal—you can't back out of the biography now!"

"Sora, I need to know why you're sleeping with me. Is it for the book or is it for your own pleasure?" Riku adamantly demanded an answer.

"…Both?" The brunet man peered up at his once more from his new home—the trashcan.

Riku closed his eyes and sighed heavily before going to his closet. He pulled out the clothes Sora had been wearing the night before (he had Larxene wash the vomit off of them) and placed them next to the brunet.

"I'll be back with some ginger ale and some Tylenol in a few minutes. In the meantime, put some clothes on; I want to talk about our contracts when I get back." The rock star was gone from the suite with a flash of silver hair and the bark of his husky that followed him out of the room lovingly. Sora heaved into the bin for a final time, wiping the vomit off of his mouth with a tissue that was on the nightstand. Riku had thought of everything.

Sora struggled into the sweat pants, forgoing the shirt after the battle he had getting his lower extremities covered, and figured he should probably make his way into the bathroom to pee. He found a washcloth next to the sink with a small little note that said _Mr. West_ on it in an elegant scrawl that could only be Riku's. He smiled softly and washed his face and under his arms appreciatively; he no longer felt like the epitome of gross.

His next mission was to find his cell phone. He dug around the bed for a few moments before he found it on the nightstand next to the tissues and his car keys. He hadn't realized his phone was on silent; his eyes lit up in alarm when he saw that he had twelve missed calls and that it was two in the afternoon.

_Twelve missed calls? Who on earth could have needed me so badly that they called twe—KAIRI!_

Sora bolted upright and immediately scrambled to throw on his shirt, knowing damn well that if he couldn't go back in time and make it to his breakfast with his fiancée he'd be a dead man, and seeing as that was impossible, Sora was a dead man.

Kairi was a pretty sensible girl. She didn't ask much from Sora except for an open relationship and a date once a month or so. She understood he was busy, but when Sora agreed to a date and then didn't show up, Kairi let all hell loose.

Riku entered the room just as Sora was bolting out of it. The silveret whirled around to chase after the now sprinting brunet, who was clutching his head in agony.

"Sora!" The rock star exclaimed in confusion.

"I have to go; I'm so sorry!" Sora called out as he vanished through the pent-house door.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters of Kingdom Hearts, or the ideas from Kingdom hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**

**Music this Chapter**

**Personality - Bing Crosby**

**Stories this chapter**

**Sora's "The Origin of Love" is Plato's Symposium, specifically Aristophanes' portion of the story. I take no credit for the story.**


	14. Chapter 14

Two unfortunate events occurred that fateful Sunday when Roxie and Axel had stayed up all night at the docks and Sora had missed his date in a drunken stupor at Riku's place, the first being not all that unpredictable, and the other being life-shattering. The inconsequential event was that Kairi was mad at Sora for missing their planned date. The consequential event was that Granny Andrus had died just hours after Axel and Roxie had left the nursing home.

"_I just… I'm sorry. I won't be able to meet this week, I don't think," Axel's voice was hoarse over the phone. Roxas, blearily looking around his room after the ringing of his cell had woken him up from his long-overdue slumber, couldn't process what the red-head was saying._

"_Huh? What do you mean?" He fumbled out. He ran a hand through his hair and struggled to use his brain._

"_The autobiography; I can't do my interviews. She's… she's gone, and I just… I won't be me," Axel's voice cracked and Roxas blinked a few times before he was able to understand the red head's words. _

"_Granny Andrus? We were just there…" He decided to leave out the 'shit' he had intended to say at the end of his sentence. _

"_I know."_

"_When's the service?" The blond was now sitting up in bed, staring at the calendar on his wall waiting for a response from the rock star._

"…_What?" Axel sounded slightly stunned over the other end of the line. Roxas was now out of bed, his boxer briefs slipping a little as he walked to the calendar on the wall._

"_I asked you when her funeral is," He stated matter of fact._

"_Oh, um, I think it's going to be Wednesday?" _

"_I'll be there. I'll email your momager, Larxene, and I'm sure she'll send me more information. Don't worry about the interviews, we can make them up some other time." Roxas comforted the red head._

"_You're not busy?" Another note of surprise from the red head._

"_I'll make time."_

And that was how Roxas found himself standing sheepishly in front of Sora, trying to explain why he was going to have to miss his appointment with Luxord on Wednesday.

"You're going to his dead grandmother's funeral?" Disbelief was laced into Sora's words and expression.

"I've met her, it's not that weird." Roxas shrugged his shoulders. The two men were in the living room to their shared apartment. Sora had decided that since he had already missed his date with Kairi and that he had already fled from a certain silveret's hotel suite today, he might as well get something right and do some cleaning on his only day off of the week. He had enlisted Roxas' help once the blond had awoken from his impressively long slumber (the dancer had been awake well over twenty-four hours before crashing, though), and that was how the pair had found themselves face to face in the living room.

"You _met _her? When? She died this morning!"

"Well, I kind of met her this morning… right before she died… Axel and I may have possibly stayed up all night long on at the docks, gone to her nursing home in the morning, sang during breakfast, and then he dropped me off back here like a gentleman?" Head hanging down in embarrassment, the blond peered up at his best friend through his long lashes. Sora's face was bright red, and his cheeks were puffed out as he slowly exhaled through his pursed lips.

Roxas knew that Sora was protective of him, and that the stunt the blond had pulled by running away from the cabaret with Axel the night before had scared the brunet to death. That being said, though, Sora sometimes suffocated his best friend in his efforts to protect him from the harsh, cruel world that had hurt the dancer before. Living his life in a vacuum was driving him crazy, and he had truly experienced freedom for the first time in a long time when he and Axel were soaring down the city streets on _Electra_, whipping past high buildings and blurred lights.

"You had me worried sick, you know," Sora started. He dropped his accusatory stance and sunk into the plush comfort of the couch and patted for Roxas to sit down next to him. The brunet's best friend obliged and they sat in silence for another moment while the author composed his thoughts. "When Cloud, Zex, and I found out that you had run off with Axel last night, I was so frightened. Roxas, I know you're finally starting to get your life back together but it's only been six months that you've been out of the hospital and back to work. You've barely had time for your scars to heal, let alone your sanity. I'm worried that Axel Andrus is going to… oh… oh I don't know…"

"You're worried he's going to be another Blaze, aren't you?" Roxas' words were careful and quiet. Sora nodded weakly before pulling the blond into his arms, resting his chin on top of Rox's bed head.

"You're going to fall madly and desperately in love with a man you can't have, and I don't know what will happen if that breaks you." He murmured.

"Are you talking about me, or are you talking about you right now?" The dancer's words surprised the brunet; he pulled away from their affectionate embrace and stared at his best friend in disbelief.

"And _what_ do you mean by that?" Sora spat out.

"Oh, don't get all high and mighty with me, Sor-_rah_." Roxas rolled his eyes and kicked his feet up on the coffee table, much to the other man's dismay. "You're sleeping with Riku to get him to do this book; he's blackmailing you into being his sex slave! You loved him more than anyone on this Earth—you loved him more than you love the girl you plan on marrying. How in the world do you expect to walk away from this unscathed? At least Axel Andrus is honest with me. He tells me all the time not to expect romance or a relationship and harmlessly flirts with me because he thinks I'm cute; he doesn't _blackmail_ me into sleeping with him."

"It's a business exchange, Rox…" Sora started to speak, but even he was aware of how weak his words sounded. _A business exchange? You drunkenly begged Riku Docken to fuck your brains out after stripping yourself naked in front of him. If that's a business exchange, what kind of business are you running, West? _His internal monologue was cut short by Roxas' interjection.

"Don't give me that shit, Sora. You're going to fall in love with him again and he's going to rip your heart out. I suppose it's just a matter of time before we each get hurt in different ways. We should start a betting pool on who gets their heart broken first, you know? I bet we could make some real money on that at the Cabaret." Roxas leaned his head on Sora's shoulder and the brunet reciprocated by resting his unruly hair on top of his friend's bed head. They sat like that for a few moments, each of them ruminating over their own personal decisions and whether or not they'd come to regret them. It was Roxas who spoke first, ending their comfortable silence. "So I can go to the funeral? You'll call Luxord and reschedule my appointment?" He sounded hopeful and Sora hated to break his friend's spirit. The brunet reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"Only if you _promise_ me you're not going to let Axel ruin all the progress you've made. You're doing so well, Rox. I don't know if I could bear to see you fall again." Wary as always, Sora pleaded for the dancer to keep his wits about him in the presence of a certain red-headed rock star.

"Okay; _but, _only if you promise _me_ that you're going to be careful around Riku. Speaking of the devil…" The blond quickly pulled his smart phone out of his sweatpants pocket and rapidly began typing. He handed Sora the electronic device when he was done and give him a look of apology. "…he wrote another song about you."

"How do you know?" Sora cradled the phone in his hands, his head spinning with uncertainty.

"It _has_ to be about you; and, if it _is_ about you, you need to be extra careful. It doesn't seem like we're the only ones who might get their hearts broken out of this whole biography fiasco. Don't make any promises you can't keep, Sora." The dancer walked out of the living room and into the kitchen, ending their conversation.

The brunet, with shaking hands and a pit in his stomach, looked down at the phone. He pressed the play icon and held his breath as the song began. He allowed himself a few minutes to cry after it was over, and he locked himself in his room for the rest of the evening. Roxas didn't bother trying to enter, and the two men went to bed early that night in preparation for their long week of work ahead of them.

* * *

"_I thought we agreed I wasn't doing any interviews this week." Axel sounded annoyed over the phone. Roxie bit her lip as she adjusted her wig in the bathroom mirror._

"_I'm not calling you to do any interviews. I was actually wondering if you wanted to get out of the hotel. Get some fresh air, you know?" Her voice was timid and she tried to regain her composure. _

"…_You want me to go out? With you?" Axel held back the laugh that was threatening to rupture out of his mouth._

"_I figured it'd be nice to take your mind off of things. We could take _Electra_ around the suburbs. No paparazzi out there." The blonde had regained much of her usual zest by the time she spoke again. It was just Axel. He was just one of the most famous men on Earth. It was no big deal that she was asking him to spend the day with her alone. _

"…_Little Miss Sunshine, what are you trying to do?" She could hear the amusement in his voice and she smiled to herself in triumph, recognizing the tone as the same playful one he had before their late-night trip out to the dock._

"_I figured I'd woo you into loving me hopelessly and irreversibly, and then we'd settle down in a beautiful house overlooking a lake somewhere." She snorted. "Or, there's no ulterior motive, and I just want to help someone out who is going through a rough time."_

"_Hmmph. Well, when you put it that way," He paused for a moment. "Text me your address and I'll come pick you up. Then we'll see how easily you can woo me into loving you."_

"_Careful, Mien Herr; I'm always up for a challenge." Roxie hung up the phone and let out a sigh of relief before practically jumping for joy. She had as close to a date with Axel as she was probably ever going to get, and that was a good Monday in her book._

* * *

Sora showed up at eight a.m. sharp for Riku's interview the next morning. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door, mildly delighted to hear Kida's barking in response. He had almost forgotten that Riku had a dog, and an _adorable_ dog at that. Unlike the previous Friday when the rock star was completely unprepared for Sora's arrival, the silveret was showered, dressed, and bright-eyed (well, one of his eyes was bright, and the other was black and blue from where Roxie had clocked him on Saturday night) when he opened the door to his portion of the hotel suite. Larxene had let Sora into the common area that Riku and Axel shared. Most of the band spent their time in there, anyway, and this morning was no different. The band's "Momager", her husband, and Demyx had all been sitting around the kitchen island eating breakfast when Sora arrived.

"Good morning." Riku smiled at him and motioned for the brunet to step inside. Kida darted out of the open doorway and ran in a circle around Sora's legs before bolting back inside the private room. She found herself a spot on the couch and barked happily, tail wagging with excitement at the brunet's appearance. Sora resisted the urge to run to the dog and pet her until his hands fell off; he instead removed his shoes by the doorway as Riku closed it behind him. "So, I wanted to talk to you…" Riku rubbed the back of his head as he made his way into the small kitchenette to grab bottles of water for both him and the brunet from the fridge. Sora felt a lump grow in his throat but he managed to spit out the words he had been practicing in his head all morning.

"Why didn't you sleep with me Saturday night?" He felt his skin pale once the sentence was out in the open. Riku blinked at him in complete surprise before composing himself. He walked to the living room and sat next to his dog on the couch, motioning for Sora to sit in the adjacent chair. The brunet complied and greedily sipped on his water.

"You were drunk, Sora. I wasn't going to take advantage of you like that." The silveret spoke in a matter-of-fact fashion.

"But you have no problem taking advantage of me in exchange for the biography?" Unsure of where his bravery was coming from, Sora desperately pleaded it would stick around until their conversation was over. He couldn't start their interviews until he had honest answers from the rock star.

"…That's a complicated question, Sora. I already told you why I want to sleep with you. No one can know I'm gay, and this exchange is the only way I have security that my secret won't get out."

"Bullshit. Bull_shit_." Sora blurted out before digging his phone from his pocket. He had the song already pulled up and he aggressively pressed the play button.

**Everybody loves the things you do**;** from the way you talk** t**o the way you move.** **Everybody here is watching you**, **'cause you feel like home.** **You're like a dream come true.**

The author watched as Riku's face fell. The silveret listened to his own singing voice project from the other man's phone, and he knew he was going to have some explaining to do.

"What the fuck is _this_, Riku?" The brunet inquired about the song and so much more that was going on between them.

**But, if by chance, you're here alone can I have a moment before I go? 'Cause I've been by myself all night long hoping you're someone I used to know.**

"Sora… I…"

"Don't lie to me, Riku. Okay? You've done enough to me that you owe me the truth."

**You look like a movie; you sound like a song. My God, this reminds me of when we were young.**

"I know I owe you the truth. I owe you an explanation. I owe you so much more than that and I don't know if I can ever give you everything that I owe you."

**Let me photograph you in this light in case it is the last time that we might be exactly like we were before we realized we were sad of getting old; it made us restless.**

"Well I'd really appreciate it if you could at least try." The brunet sounded exasperated as the song swelled into the end of the chorus.

**It's hard to admit that everything just takes me back to when you were there and a part of me keeps holding on just in case it hasn't gone. I guess I still care. Do you still care?**

"What I did to you was completely unspeakable. I know it doesn't make it any less painful, but believe me, I never wanted to leave you." Riku admitted, adverting his gaze from the author in front of him. Sora's jaw could have hit the floor from how appalled he was.

"You're right, Riku. That _doesn't_ make it any less painful, because you _did_ leave me!"

**Oh I'm so mad I'm getting old; it makes me reckless.**

"I had no other choice, Sora! I had to leave you if I ever wanted a chance of my record deal sticking. You _know_ what they do to people like us. You _know_ what would have happened to us if it ever leaked that I was in love with you. You'd never have been safe."

"Don't you _dare_ pretend like you left to keep me _safe_. You left me because you wanted to be famous! You left me because all you cared about was music and money and no matter what I was never enough for you!"

"I loved you more than anything on this Earth; I don't care if you don't believe me, Sora, because you and me both know you got letters from me two, three times a week pouring my heart out to you, telling you how much I missed you, how much I needed you, and how bad I fucked up."

"And you composed those letters and made billions off of the music, _you poor thing._" Sora scoffed.

"If I didn't make it all worth something—if I didn't become the "Golden Boy", if I didn't sell records, if I didn't go on world tours—then I'd have thrown away everything we had for _nothing_, Sora, and I could have never lived with myself."

"Did you ever stop to think of how I was living with _myself_?" The brunet could feel himself starting to cry and he wanted so desperately to stop. He didn't want to show Riku Docken how much he had been hurt by the silveret abandoning him.

"Maybe I _would_ have known if you'd have ever answered my calls, replied to the letters, or if you hadn't changed your address and fallen off the face of the Earth!" Riku snapped back, his voice hoarse.

Their eyes locked. Both sets contained tears; both sets were red and welling to the brim. Kida had long ago traveled to the bed to curl up, leaving the men alone in the living room portion of the private suite to continue their shouting match. They both had shaking hands and aching hearts, for hashing out the things that had happened a decade prior was bringing up emotions they hadn't laid to rest. They had been so happy together so long ago. They had a fairytale relationship that one could only hope for in books or movies, never real life. They had loved each other so wholly and completely that it felt as if they were a single entity. They were children of the sun; they were two men who were barred from being with one another by society but cared so deeply that the idea of being without each other had once scared them more than what society could do to them. But that was so long ago, and things were different now.

"Please… you have to believe me that this hasn't been easy for me either, and that the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. I know I did, Sora. I know I hurt you so badly and that I can never take that back, but _please,_ you have to know that I was hurting, too. You have to know that I _am_ hurting, too. Still to this day I'm suffering for the decision I made. I know our time came and went, but I'll be damned if I don't think every day what my life would have been like if I'd have chosen to stay with you instead. There isn't a single day that goes by where I don't wonder if I made the wrong choice and that all of this fucking fame and fortune isn't worth going to bed alone every night and never getting to love another person the way I loved you. I _know_ I hurt you, and I am so fucking sorry. I'm sorry with every fiber of my being and bone in my body. I could apologize to you for the next fifty years and it wouldn't even begin to scratch the surface of how fucking _sorry_ I am, because I know what it feels like to be without the person you love more than even yourself, and it's all my fucking fault. I can't take it back, Sora. I can't take back what I did to you ten years ago, and I sure as hell wish I could, but I can't. All I can do now is hope that whatever riches this book brings you makes up for the pain that I caused. I doubt it will, though, because all the money in the world couldn't take away my pain. Now I'm selfishly clinging to the only thing that used to make me happy—you. I'm blackmailing you into sleeping with me because I'm selfish and I'm lonely and you were the only thing in the world that made me happy, and I'm grasping at straws trying to be happy for the next six months until this book is over and you change your address again and walk out of my life."

Somewhere during his speech, Riku had gotten up and crossed the distance between himself and the author. He was kneeling in front of Sora looking straight at him; his swollen and bruised eye squinted while the other allowed tears to freely flow. In the seconds that followed, Sora had a thousand thoughts race through his head.

Who had suffered more from their break up? For years Sora thought it was him, because he had no choice in the matter. But would it have been worse to choose to walk away from someone you loved, only to find out that what you wanted wasn't what you thought it was? Sora also thought about his love life; he had Kairi. He had a fiancée and he was never truly _alone_. He had met Kairi so quickly in college, had jumped into a relationship in order to ease the pain of losing Riku, and he had never really stopped clinging to the auburn haired girl's ability to lighten the heaviness that the silveret had left on his heart. What would his suffer have felt like if Kairi was never around? What if he had to spend each night alone, every day without a companion, and never had anyone to fall back on when the suffering became too much? What if he had no one to feel against his bare skin in between sheets in the dark…

Sora looked at the silveret in front of him (a man who he was so used to seeing on billboards and magazines and television as beautiful and flawless) and observed his face. A Black eye, red nose, sniffling breath, and a stream of tears mucked up his normally gorgeous face. Riku bit his lip to keep it from quivering.

Maybe… maybe Sora hadn't been the one who was worse off. Maybe somewhere along the line he held a grudge too long and should have let go of Riku when he asked out Kairi, or when they first shared a bed, or when he asked her to be his wife.

"I believe you," Sora whispered to the rock star in front of him. "I believe that you're hurting, too. But it's been ten years and we need to move on, both of us. We have to find a way to work together, Riku, because I need this book and you obviously need companionship, even if it's only for six months." The author reached out his hand and cupped the unbruised side of the rock star's face. The brunet would never be able to understand just how lonely the silveret's life had been since their break-up, but he had half a clue from the way Riku nearly melted into Sora's touch.

"I'm so sorry, Sora. I truly am sorry." Riku repeated the words like a mantra as he leaned into the brunet's hand. The author used his thumb to wipe away a stray tear off of the rock star's face before leaning in so their noses were almost touching.

"No more apologies; we're going to be even after this book is finished, okay? No more grudges, no more hurt feelings. In six months your debt for hurting me will be paid, I'll have my biography, and we'll go on our separate ways." Sora held his breath as the silveret silently nodded, agreeing to the terms the author had placed. "In the meantime, though, I have my end of the deal to hold up."

"What?" Riku blinked at him in minor confusion before he felt the soft press of lips against his own. Sora had leaned in, closing those last few inches between them, and kissed him softly. When the brunet pulled away he bit his lip in hesitation.

"Even though I was absolutely wasted out of my mind on Saturday night I wanted you to sleep with me. At first exchanging sex for the book seemed like blackmail; but, Riku I've missed the way you knew me inside and out, and I'd be lying if I said the idea of spending the next six months fucking you didn't excite me." The brunet had to stop himself from nearly purring when he heard the silveret's breath hitch in arousal. "So, please, we're done calling it blackmail, because I'm not going to sleep with you in exchange for the book anymore. I'm going to do it because I want to, and we'll keep it completely separate from our professional life."

"So this means I'm not going to get sucker punched by a Cabaret dancer again?" Riku let out a small laugh and the brunet rolled his eyes in amusement.

"I'll tell my body guard to lay off." He smiled. "So, before we start your interview for the day…" The author trailed off because the silveret had read his mind and needed no further prompting. Their lips were crashing together and the rock star was lifting himself off of his knees; he grabbed Sora by the ass from his seat on the chair and hoisted him into the air in one fluid motion. The brunet, working on muscle memory from years ago, wrapped his legs around the taller man as their kiss deepened and their tongues darted out to battle for control.

The brunet felt himself being laid down on a plush, soft bed and he sunk into the fabric with elation. He had been thinking about Riku for days, ever since he had a taste of the silveret for the first time in ten years. He remembered their exploits in the shower and he felt his dress pants begin to tighten around his groin at the memory. Riku clambered onto the bed and hovered over the author before trailing a hand across the smaller man's chest, reaching the buttons of his pale blue dress shirt. Normally the silveret would be thinking about how the contrast between Sora's cerulean eyes and pale blue shirt really made the author's irises stand out, but as he trailed his tongue down the now exposed skin of the smaller man's chest there were other thoughts filling up his mind.

Sora gasped as the silveret nipped at his member pressing hard against his dress pants. The smirk that crossed the rock star's face was one of sheer primal amusement. The brunet was begging for his touch, and nothing could please Riku more.

Well,_ maybe_ it would please Riku more if Sora _loved_ him, but the ache of his heart was easily ignored as he slid inside the brunet and heard him cry out his name.

* * *

The "date" between the blonde and the red head had been a success; by the time Axel dropped Roxie back off at Sora's apartment building his spirits had been lifted considerably and they already had made plans to get together and explore the country-side some more the next day. The next day came and went with the dancer and the rock star cruising through the sparsely traveled winding hills along the bluff of the country, stopping by a small hole-in-the-wall diner for lunch, and eating the left overs while watching the sun set for dinner. Axel had found himself laughing far more than he thought he would be capable and for a few moments the actress had even managed to make him forget that his only family member who had ever cared about him was dead and gone.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight." Roxie kicked some dust on the ground with her shoe and tried her best not to sound disappointed. She had been doing a fabulous job of keeping her cool and being aware that these weren't dates—she was just helping Axel through a rough time. He was famous and she was just a blip on his radar; he'd be gone in six months and she'd be right back where she started.

"I guess it is, Little Miss Sunshine." The tattooed man's keys jangled in his grasp and he too shifted around in his stance. It was obvious that neither of them truly wanted to go, but there was nothing else for them to really do. Besides, they had Granny Andrus' funeral in the morning and they both needed their beauty sleep before the emotionally exhausting day ahead.

"Do you feel better?" The blonde asked, chewing her bottom lip. She immediately regretted her decision, knowing her teeth were now probably covered with the plum lipstick she had artfully drawn on to match her floppy sunhat.

"You know what? I do feel better. I don't know what it is about you…" Axel began, but was cut off when the blonde's bedroom window opened and a certain brunet peeked his head out.

"Roxie? We've got to be up early." Sora was clearly impatient that the goodbye taking place several floors below was dragging on.

"Yes, _Dad_." The blonde rolled her eyes and mouthed an apology to the snickering red head in front of her. "I'll be up in a second!" She called to her best friend as he made an exaggerated "_Hmpf!"_ and slid the window closed.

"Tight leash, huh?" The tattooed man was still in a playful mood from their earlier adventures and didn't mind the brunet's intrusion. The blonde, however, was irritated that Sora had cut the rock star off mid-sentence. She knew there was no point in trying to get Axel to finish his train of thought; he only admitted things to her when he was in _just_ the right situation and mood, and now both of those two prerequisites were gone.

"You have _no_ idea." Roxie giggled. "He means well, though. He just wants to know I'm safe." She explained.

"Were you ever not safe?" Axel laughed, but he saw the way the blonde's face fell. The tone of their conversation shifted from an innocent goodbye to a cold, stiff farewell. "Roxie… what happened to you that made him so protective?" The tattooed man figured he'd take a chance and see if she would answer him. He didn't expect an explanation, and he sure as hell didn't get one.

The blonde left him without words as she bolted into the building and up the stairs to her and Sora's apartment. _Why do I even care what happened to her?_ Axel thought to himself as she silently put on his helmet and straddled _Electra_, revving her engine to life. _I shouldn't care what happened to her. She's just a girl._ He peeled out of the parking lot and onto the city streets, weaving in and out of traffic recklessly. _But I do… I do care about what happened to her, because I care about __**her**_.

* * *

**Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now, am found; was blind, but now I see.**

Axel had promised himself he wasn't going to cry, so he didn't. He choked back his tears into a very uncomfortable lump in his throat and stared blankly ahead as they lowered his grandmother into the ground. He dulled his senses so much that he could barely hear the singer from Granny Andrus' church that was wailing in the middle of the cemetery. Luckily for the red head, Roxie wasn't going to let an opportunity go to waste.

She was dressed as simply as Axel had ever seen her. Her back dress wasn't form fitting or covered in feathers, sequence, or satin. It was a dull cotton that rippled with the gentle breeze and caught around her knees. She looked modest with subtle make-up and her hair wasn't curled to the side of her head as it usually was. Her blonde locks laid flat around her shoulders and swayed with the wind. The rock star was so used to seeing a dramatic, over the top, lively woman that he had nearly not recognized the dancer that had come to stand next to him.

"Hey," she whispered softly. She slid her hand into his and gave it a small reassuring squeeze. The tattooed man snapped out of his trance, turning his head slightly to see the actress in his peripheral vision, his main focus still glued to the coffin being slowly lowered in. "Guess who I am." She commanded before standing on her tip toes to bring her mouth closer to the red head's ear. In a quiet, hushed voice, she began to mock the woman from Axel's grandmother's church that was singing.

**When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun. We've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun.**

The dancer sang shrilly and through her nose, impersonating the church singer with deadly accuracy. Axel, who had not been paying much attention to the quality of the music before, was now hyper aware of its abysmal nature. He found that the lump in his throat was replaced with a fit of giggles as he tried to keep his laughter inside. Roxie, now done mocking the church singer, did her best to conceal her amusement as well. Somewhere along the line, in their desperate attempt to keep from bursting into shrieking cackles at the absurdity of the whole situation, Axel managed to wrap his arm around Roxie and she had buried her face into the chest of his suit. They clutched at one another and if you hadn't been paying close enough attention, they would look like they were sobbing along with many of the other funeral goers.

The rest of the band and their Momager were all strictly focused on the red head and the blonde that were lost in their own little world, seemingly unaware that they were being watched. Demyx gave Riku a sly smirk, to which the silveret responded by shrugging his shoulders; in all truthfulness, he was completely unaware of what was going on between Axel and Roxie. He had been so preoccupied with his own romantic endeavors that the notion that Axel may have been falling for Sora's best friend had never seemed to be something that could become reality.

"I give it a month." Larxene whispered, though she didn't really need to. The band had stationed themselves at the back of the group of funeral goes standing around watching the dead woman be lowered into the ground. They had gone to support Axel, after all, and it seemed that he was doing okay without them by his side as long as a certain blonde was taking up the empty space.

"Hmmm?" Marluxia, a man of few words, seemed to be lost in thought as he responded to his wife.

"I give a month until she's over every day of the week at the hotel." She explained her train of thought.

"You think so?" Demyx was the one who addressed her this time. "I don't know, Axel's never been one to keep people around."

"Look at him, he's smitten." Larx objected. Riku chuckled and ran his fingers though his hair.

"Must be something in the air…" He watched as the blonde and the red head managed to control their laughter long enough to stand up straight instead of having to use each other as support. When they composed themselves, though, Axel didn't let go of the dancer's hand.

* * *

"Thank you," The sun was setting over the cemetery's rolling hilltops as Axel spoke. Roxie, squinting as she was facing the sun, beamed at him. "I never thought I'd laugh that hard in a place like this.

"I was hoping it would cheer you up." She shrugged. They walked hand in hand to the entrance gate at a leisurely pace. Once again, neither of them really wanted to leave the other's company, but they weren't in a position to ask for more time, either.

"Can I ask you something?" The red head stopped waking and turned to face the blonde. She pivoted in towards him, her face illuminated by the setting sun, and he couldn't help but think she was absolutely beautiful. There was something about how simple she looked today that made her appealing to him.

"You know, Mien Herr, I'm supposed to be the one interviewing _you_," She teased, biting her lip. "Ask me anything."

"Why are you doing this? You've made me laugh, smile, and forget about life for the past four days. Even at my own grandmother's funeral you managed to get me to nearly piss myself. I've had more fun with you just looking at the sky than I have when I've been coked out of my mind with some of the most famous people on Earth." He sighed, then, wondering where he was going with his monologue. "I guess what I'm asking you is why you're putting in so much effort. I already told you I'd never be able to love you, you're not taking any money from me, and you haven't recorded a single meeting so it's not in the book; I don't know what you're getting out of this."

"Well," Roxie paused, giving herself a few seconds thought. "I know I'm just an author's assistant. I know that in six months you'll be gone and we'll probably never talk again. But right now, right _here_, you needed me. You needed me to hold your hand and make you laugh and look at the sunset so you forgot about how bad everything was. I wish someone would have done that for me when I needed it."

"When you needed it?" Axel pried, but he was immediately shut down. Luckily, the blonde didn't retreat inward like she normally did.

"Axel, you're not a dollar sign or a status symbol. You're a person; I don't care how much you say you don't care about other people or how much they bore you. People are people, Axel. We all need a little love, a little tenderness, and a helping hand sometimes. I wasn't doing all this because I wanted to get something out of you—haven't you ever just wanted to _give_?" Roxie left him with that sentiment as she hailed a taxi and climbed inside. For the second night in a row Axel was forced to watch the blonde leave; he felt a coldness spread over him without her there, but her words renewed his warmth.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters of Kingdom Hearts, or the ideas from Kingdom hearts.**

**I also do not own any music lyrics used in chapters.**

**Music this Chapter**

**When We Were Young - Adele**

**Amazing Grace - Evangelical Folk Song**


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